Ukrainian state nuclear company on probable reason why IAEA was not allowed in Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant reactor halls

The experts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) being denied access to reactor halls of the Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) may be an attempt to hide the real situation at the station. Source: Petro Kotin, President of Energoatom, Ukraine's national nuclear energy company Quote: "The fact of denying the experts of the IAEA monitoring mission access to reactor halls where active reactor zones and used nuclear fuel are located may be an attempt of the Russian occupiers to hide the real situation at the ZNPP."

"The only solution is the full demilitarisation and liberation of the ZNPP and adjacent territories.

This is a key condition for restoring not only nuclear safety but also the respect for international law," Kotin added. He remarked that the occupiers at the ZNPP act with complete disregard for Energoatom's instructions. "The only legitimate operator of the ZNPP, which is the largest nuclear facility in Europe, is Energoatom so only bringing the plant back under control of Ukraine can facilitate its nuclear and radiation safety," Kotin stressed.

Background: 

• On 3 January the IAEA reported that its experts remained unable to gain access to all parts of the site, and for the past two weeks they have not been allowed to access the reactor halls of units 1, 2 and 6.
• The agency noted in its statement that its experts were not allowed to the reactor hall of a power unit in cold shutdown where active zones and used fuel are located.

  Moreover, last week, like the weeks before, the access to some parts of the ZNPP's turbine halls was restricted, in particular in reactor units 3, 4 and 6.

  In addition to this, the IAEA experts are still waiting for access to the rooftops of the reactors which was supposed to be granted on 19 December.

• Five of the ZNPP's six reactors remain in cold shutdown, while unit 4 is in hot shutdown to produce steam and heat, including for the nearby town of Enerhodar, where most plant staff live.

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