IAEA warns of nuclear accident risk in Ukraine amid Russian attacks

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday warned of the ongoing risk of a nuclear accident in Ukraine following a recent surge in Russian airstrikes.

"It is clear that the dangers to nuclear safety continue to be very real and ever-present. My teams report that this was the most intense day of air raid alarms they had experienced since late last year," IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said during his one-day visit to Kiev.

He said the agency's presence at nuclear facilities remains essential to help prevent a nuclear incident. IAEA expert teams based at two of Ukraine's operating nuclear power plants had to take shelter up to three times during a day with an unusually high number of air raid warnings.

Grossi also said it was critical to begin preparing for the future reconstruction of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, a process in which the IAEA could play an important role.

The IAEA has played a central part in monitoring and safeguarding the condition and safety of Ukraine's nuclear power plants since the start of Russia's invasion.

It regularly sends expert teams to the operating reactor sites in Rivne and Khmelnytskyi and has a permanent presence at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which has been occupied by Russian troops since 2022 and was shut down for safety reasons.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X that any Russian efforts to restart the Zaporizhzhya plant without Ukraine's involvement were "absurd and dangerous" and called for unhindered IAEA access to the site.

Ukraine relies on nuclear power for more than half of its electricity needs. Russia has repeatedly targeted the country's power plants and energy infrastructure in an effort to disrupt supply.