Zelenskyy, atomic agency chief discuss nuclear plant fears

The U.N.’s atomic energy chief warned during a meeting Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the perilous situation at Europe’s largest nuclear plant “isn’t getting any better” as relentless fighting in the area keeps the facility at risk of a disaster.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant’s six reactors are in shutdown and it is receiving the electricity it needs to prevent a reactor meltdown through just one remaining power line. It has on occasion had to switch to emergency diesel generators to power its essential cooling systems.

In a meeting with Zelenskyy in southern Ukraine covered exclusively by The Associated Press, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the situation at the plant remains tense because of the heavy military presence around it and a blackout that recently struck the facility, something that has occurred repeatedly since Russian forces took it over last year.

Grossi plans to visit the plant this week for the second time following Russia’s invasion 13 months ago. The Vienna-based agency has staff permanently deployed at the plant since Grossi’s last visit in September.

Earlier this month, fighting interrupted power supply to the plant for half a day, forcing staff to activate backup generators.

Grossi had expressed alarm at that development.

“Each time we are rolling a dice,” he told his agency at the time. “And if we allow this to continue time after time, then one day our luck will run out.”