The IAEA will continue to support Ukraine in ensuring the safety and security of its nuclear sites, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky this evening during a meeting in Kyiv. Mr Grossi is in Ukraine heading an assistance mission to deliver vital equipment and conduct radiological and other assessments at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which was held by Russian forces for five weeks before they withdrew on 31 March.
“It was an emotional day to be in Chornobyl and remember the tragic events of 1986,” he said. “At the same time, it is an honour to be here with President Zelensky and show our support. The IAEA will continue to support Ukraine,” Mr Grossi said.
President Zelensky thanked the Director General for visiting Chornobyl and the continued support the IAEA has provided to Ukraine and its nuclear regulator. The IAEA has been in increasingly close communication with the regulator since Russian forces advanced into Ukraine on 24 February.
The IAEA has released updates on nuclear developments in Ukraine daily since then and distributed them on social media in all UN languages and Ukrainian. The IAEA has also been on the ground at other Ukrainian power plants during the conflict, and last month Mr Grossi visited the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant to offer technical assistance for safety and security to the country’s nuclear facilities.
