The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will arrive in Ukraine next week to establish a permanent presence of safety experts at all nuclear power plants in the country. The IAEA announced this on Twitter.

“Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi will visit Ukraine next week to ensure the continued presence of nuclear safety and security experts at all nuclear power facilities in the country, significantly intensifying the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency to prevent a nuclear catastrophe during the ongoing military conflict,” it says..

Currently, members of the IAEA team are already working at the Russian-occupied Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. It is expected that in the coming days, two experts will also be deployed at the Khmelnytsky, South Ukrainian, Rivne and Chernobyl nuclear power plants.

During the visit, Grossi plans to meet with the Ukrainian leadership to discuss the creation of a nuclear security zone around Zaporozhye, which has been repeatedly called for..

“I remain determined to make the much-needed defense zone a reality as soon as possible.. My consultations with Ukraine and Russia are progressing, although not as fast as they should. I still hope that we will be able to agree and enter the zone in the near future,” Grossi said..

He also once again expressed his serious concern about the pressure faced by ZNPP personnel.. The organization said in a statement that this was fraught with potential implications for nuclear safety..

“The downsizing of the ZNPP staff, combined with the psychological stress due to the ongoing military conflict and the absence of family members who have left the territory, has created an unprecedented situation,” he said..

Earlier it was reported that the president of the nuclear company Energoatom, Petr Kotin, questioned the calls of the International Atomic Energy Agency to the Ukrainian and Russian authorities to establish a security perimeter around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine..