UN watchdog calls for ‘security zone’ around Ukraine nuclear power plant

International Atomic Energy Agency also calls for end to shelling

A UN watchdog has called for a “security zone” to be established around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, shortly after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned of a potential “catastrophe” there.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) made the recommendation about the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) in a new report published on Tuesday.

The “shelling on site and in its vicinity should be stopped immediately to avoid any further damages to the plant and associated facilities, for the safety of the operating staff and to maintain the physical integrity to support safe and secure operation”, the IAEA said.

“This requires agreement by all relevant parties to the establishment of a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the ZNPP,” it added.

Both Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other for shelling in the area surrounding the reactors.

The IAEA’s report, which was published shortly after its experts visited the Russian-occupied site, also listed the extensive damage caused to the facility in recent months. This includes a hole in the roof of a building which contains fresh nuclear fuel and the solid radioactive waste.

“The ongoing shelling could damage other critical plant systems and equipment, and lead to more severe consequences, including unlimited release of radioactive materials to the environment,” the IAEA warned.

The nuclear watchdog also noted that working conditions for Ukrainian staff at the nuclear facility should be improved. Under the Russian military occupation, they face “constant high stress and pressure”, which risks “increased human error” at the site.

The IAEA also confirmed Ukrainian reports that Russia is housing military vehicles under the overpass connecting the nuclear reactors. Military hardware should be removed from the site’s operational areas, it said.

The watchdog also urged both sides to allow the ZNPP’s supply chains to operate smoothly and for open communication channels to be established.

The publication of the report comes days after a team of IAEA experts travelled to the ZNPP, following weeks of talks with Moscow. While the majority of them have now left Zaporizhzhia, two of its members remain at the site to monitor conditions there.

Fears have grown in recent weeks about the facility, with Ukraine saying that its nuclear reactors have twice been disconnected from the grid due to nearby fires. The nuclear plant is currently having to rely on its own power to run its safety systems.

On Tuesday, Dmytro Orlov, the Ukrainian mayor of nearby Enerhodar, said a powerful blast hit his city at midday. The explosion left it without power and water supplies.

Ukraine has called on Russia to organise safe corridors from the area around Enerhodar, as residents reportedly try to flee over concerns about the power plant.

“People en masse are reaching out to us for help. They are trying to leave to the dangerous territory, but there are no corridors,” Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.