Russia holds consultation with Int’l Atomic Agency on safety and security of Kursk and the Zaporizhian NPPs

Russia holds interdepartmental consultations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Kaliningrad on September 6, 2024. The discussion focused primarily on two key issues – the safety and security of the Kursk and the Zaporizhian nuclear power plants.

The Russian delegation was led by Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev while the IAEA delegation was led by Director General of the organization Rafael Grossi.

Alexey Likhachev emphasized that the Kursk NPP continues to operate normally, which Rafael Grossi had the opportunity to observe firsthand during his visit on 27 August. Alexey Likhachev also directly called for an appropriate response from the IAEA Secretariat regarding recent attacks on the plant by the Ukrainian side.

Concerning the Zaporizhian NPP, Alexey Likhachev confirmed that the Russian side is taking all necessary measures to ensure the safe operation of the plant amid war threats. He also addressed issues related to the exchange of information between the IAEA team at the NPP and Russian agencies.

In turn, Rafael Grossi shared his assessment of the situation at both the Zaporizhian and Kursk NPPs. He provided details of the regular rotation of IAEA experts at the Zaporizhian NPP. During his recent visit, Grossi inspected the plant, including the cooling tower that was damaged during the attack on 11 August.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining regular communication and consultations moving forward.