Ukraine has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that management at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant is under orders from the commander of Russian forces controlling the site.
The IAEA said in a statement that its director-general, Rafael Grossi, is “extremely concerned” about the latest developments.
According to IAEA safety guidelines, the operating staff “must be able to fulfill their safety and security duties and have the capacity to make decisions free of undue pressure.”
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Grossi said the situation that Ukraine has reported at Zaporizhzhya “contravenes” this guideline, which is one of what the IAEA calls the “seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety and security.”
The IAEA also said Ukraine’s nuclear regulator has told the Vienna-based nuclear watchdog that it is having problems communicating with staff operating Zaporizhzhya, contravening another of the pillars.
Russian forces at the plant have switched off some mobile networks and the Internet "so that reliable information from the site cannot be obtained through the normal channels of communication," the IAEA statement said. Mobile phone communication was still possible, but with poor quality, it added.
“I’m extremely concerned about these developments that were reported to me today," Grossi said.
The IAEA’s board of governors convened a meeting on March 2 to address the safety, security, and safeguards implications of the situation in Ukraine.
Grossi warned two days later that several of the so-called pillars had already been put at risk when the power station caught fire after being shelled and seized by Russian forces on the night of March 3-4.
"In order to be able to operate the plant safely and securely, management and staff must be allowed to carry out their vital duties in stable conditions without undue external interference or pressure,” Grossi said in the statement on March 6.