IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said inspectors were able to visit a gate separating a cooling pond at the plant from the reservoir of the Kakhovka dam that was destroyed last month as well as a gate separating a discharge channel from the Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant from the reservoir.
Grossi said the experts still need to gain access to the rooftops of reactor units 3 and 4 and the turbine halls to confirm that no mines or other explosives are planted at the facility.
"I remain hopeful this access will be granted soon. I will continue to report about developments in this regard," he said.
Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of sabotage, leading to several searches of the plant that have so far turned up no signs of treachery by either nation.
The latest inspections come a month after Ukraine accused the Russian military of destroying the hydroelectric dam at Kakhovka reservoir, which had served as a critical downstream cooling source for the plant.
Crews plugged the dam with counterweights and sand, which had also helped to keep water from leaking out of the cooling pond.
IAEA 'making progress' on Zaporizhzhia access: Grossi
Tokyo (AFP) July 7, 2023 -
The UN's nuclear watchdog is "making progress" on inspecting several parts of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine after claims it had been mined, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said Friday.
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of planning a provocation at the site, raising alarm over risks of a radioactive disaster at Europe's largest nuclear plant.
Earlier this week, Grossi said the watchdog had requested access to the rooftops of two reactor units, as well as parts of the turbine halls and cooling systems.
"I think we are making progress," he said Friday in Tokyo.
"We have been able to complete the tours of the cooling ponds and other places," he said, adding they had "not seen any indications of explosives or mines."
He said IAEA officials had not yet been able to visit the facility's rooftops.
"I'm pretty confident that we will get this authorisation," he added.
"This is a combat zone, it's an active warzone, so sometimes it may take a day or two to get the authorisations."
On Tuesday, Kyiv accused Moscow of planning "dangerous provocations" at the site, while Russia has accused Ukraine of similar plans.
The Ukrainian military claimed that "external objects similar to explosive devices were placed on the outer roof of the third and fourth reactors" at the site.
Fears over the plant have persisted throughout Moscow's Ukraine offensive and been exacerbated by the destruction of a dam that provided the cooling water for the plant.
Grossi said the IAEA had contingency plans for various scenarios at the plant and "we do have a clear assessment of what emergency preparedness and response mechanisms should be in place should something occur."
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