KYIV, April 29 – Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi continues negotiations with the Ukrainian and Russian sides on a visit to Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which was seized by Russian troops.

At the moment, I can tell you that our consultations are ongoing, of course, mainly with Ukraine, but also with Russia. In a few days, I will see my Russian colleagues and we will continue this discussion," he said at a press conference in Vienna on Thursday after a visit to Chornobyl nuclear power plant on April 26.

Grossi noted that the Ukrainian nuclear regulator does not control the situation at Zaporizhia NPP, however, a number of measures should be taken at the plant to ensure safety and security guarantees.

He recalled that during the capture of the station by Russian troops on March 4, a shell exploded near one of the reactors, which could violate the security system.

We need to see the functionality of the safety equipment, to see if there has been an impact on the physical protection of the material. So there is a lot to be done," Grossi explained the need for a visit to the NPP.

At the same time, he noted that the situation with the NPP is not only a matter of nuclear safety, protection or safeguards, but also "a matter of deep political implications."

And that is why I discussed this with President Zelensky for a long time," he stressed.

As for the information disseminated by Energoatom about the flight of cruise missiles over Ukrainian nuclear power plants, the head of the IAEA noted that the agency is checking this information, since it needs to be 100% sure of this.

At the same time, he pointed out that in any case, a missile failure or something like that could have very serious consequences.

I've been saying since the first day of this crisis that the physical integrity of nuclear facilities is an absolute must," Grossi said. (om/ez)