IAEA / UKRAINE GROSSI ZAPORIZHZHIA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Support and Assistance Mission to the nuclear plant of Zaporizhzhya, in Ukraine, has arrived at the facility to conduct indispensable nuclear safety and security and safeguards activities. IAEA

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:21
• Production Date: 1 September 2022
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: RAFAEL MARIANO GROSSI
• Corporate Name: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY - IAEA
• Subject Topical: NUCLEAR FACILITIES
• Geographic Subject: UKRAINE
• MAMS Id: 2928103
• Parent Id: 2928103
• Alternate Title: unifeed220901a

Description

STORY: IAEA / UKRAINE GROSSI ZAPORIZHZHIA
TRT: 2:21
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 01 SEPTEMBER 2022, ZAPORIZHZHYA, UKRAINE

Shotlist

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA):
“So we are moving. We are aware of the current situation. There has been increased military activity, including this morning, and recently a few minutes ago. I have been briefed by the Ukrainian regional Commander, heard about that and the inherent risk, but weighing the pros and cons, and having come so far, we are not stopping. We are moving. Now we know that there is an area, as you know, the so-called grey zone, where the last line of the Ukrainian defense comes before the first line of the Russian occupying forces begins, where the risks are significant. At the same time, we consider that we have the minimum conditions, accepting that the risks are very, very high. Still, myself and the team, we believe that we can proceed with this. We have a very important mission to accomplish, as you know. We are going to start immediately the assessment of the security and the safety situation at the plant as it is. Right now. We are going to be liaising and consulting with the staff at the facility and I am going to consider the possibility of establishing a continued presence of the IAEA at the plant, which we believe it's indispensable to stabilize the situation and to get regular reliable partial neutral updates of what the situation is there. So wish us luck. We are moving now. Thank you for your interest. It's very important that the world knows what's happening.”

Storyline

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Support and Assistance Mission to the nuclear plant of Zaporizhzhya, in Ukraine, has arrived at the facility to conduct indispensable nuclear safety and security and safeguards activities.

On Thursday, before arriving at the plant, the Chief of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, told journalists that the team is “aware of the current situation”, with “increased military activity, including this morning, and recently a few minutes ago.”

Grossi said, “I have been briefed by the Ukrainian regional Commander, heard about that and the inherent risk, but weighing the pros and cons, and having come so far, we are not stopping. We are moving.”

IAEA’s chief noted the existence of a grey zone, between the last line of the Ukrainian defense and the first line of the Russian forces, “where the risks are significant.”

“At the same time, we consider that we have the minimum conditions, accepting that the risks are very, very high. Still, myself and the team, we believe that we can proceed with this. We have a very important mission to accomplish, as you know. We are going to start immediately the assessment of the security and the safety situation at the plant as it is. Right now”, Grossi said.

The agency leader also informed that the team would “be liaising and consulting with the staff at the facility” and was going to consider the possibility of establishing a continued presence of the IAEA at the plant.

Grossi believes that presence is “indispensable to stabilize the situation and to get regular reliable partial neutral updates of what the situation is there.”