IAEA experts find no immediate nuclear safety threat at Zaporozhye NPP after recent shelling

BRUSSELS. Nov 22 (Interfax) - An expert team of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) examining the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in the wake of recent shelling did not register any immediate nuclear safety threat, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said.

"They were able to confirm that - despite the severity of the shelling - key equipment remained intact and there were no immediate nuclear safety or security concerns, the director general said," the IAEA said in a statement.

The shelling that occurred on Saturday and Sunday was one of the most serious such incidents at the facility in recent months, Grossi said.

Nevertheless, according to the IAEA expert team, the status of the six reactor units is stable, and the integrity of the fresh fuel, the spent fuel and the radioactive waste in their respective storage facilities was confirmed. At the same time, the experts recorded widespread damage across the NPP site, including damage to condensate storage tanks that caused non-radioactive leaking.

Zaporozhye NPP staff have already begun repairing some of the damage, the IAEA said.

The IAEA team also reported that there had been no further attacks on the plant overnight into Monday or later, though there had been shelling in the area of the city of Energodar.

"In the wake of the renewed attacks, the director general intensified his consultations aimed at establishing a protection zone at the plant," the IAEA said.

Grossi on Monday called for all shelling of the Zaporozhye NPP to be stopped.

The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier that the Ukrainian army had shelled the Zaporozhye NPP area twice on Sunday, with one of the shells crashing on the roof of special facility No. 2.