Russia, IAEA Agree on Steps to Secure Zaporozhye Nuclear Plant

Russia’s permanent representative to international organisations in Vienna, Mikhail Oulianov, said his delegation and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reached a series of practical agreements aimed at improving the security situation around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The talks, held in Kaliningrad and led by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and Rosatom chief Alexei Lezhachev, were described as “tense but productive.”

Both sides focused on the deteriorating security in the plant’s surrounding city, Enerhodar, where the plant staff and their families live. Lezhachev reported that since mid‑March the facility has been hit by more than 460 drone attacks and over 15 artillery strikes, resulting in six deaths and 43 injuries in Enerhodar. The plant also suffered 14 attacks within a 24‑hour period on 28 June. While Russia accused the IAEA of a “fluctuating stance,” the agency reiterated its commitment to protect nuclear installations and said it would propose concrete steps to address the most critical issues.