Implementation of IAEA recommendations requires complete de-occupation of ZNPP, Enerhodar – Energoatom head

KYIV. Sept 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The main prerequisite and the only opportunity to implement the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommendations, in particular, to create a security zone around the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), is the complete de-occupation of the plant and Enerhodar, President of Energoatom Petro Kotin has said.

According to him, quoted by the company’s press service, all Russian military, equipment, weapons and representatives of Rosatom should be withdrawn from the plant site.

Kotin noted that the plant personnel, who have been working in extremely difficult conditions for more than six months, have been heroically fulfilling their duties, but are severely exhausted, and according to one of the IAEA recommendations, acceptable conditions should be created for all NPP workers.

"The de-occupation of not only the ZNPP site, but also the city of Enerhodar is also important because the plant personnel living in the satellite city must work under normal conditions, rest calmly after shifts and come to their workplaces in a normal physical and psychological state," Kotin emphasized.

"In fact, the staff is on the verge of collapse. People need normal working conditions so that they can fulfill their duties at the security protection level at which they worked for 40 years before the Russian invaders entered the ZNPP. It is necessary to immediately address the issue of creating a demilitarized zone with the withdrawal of the invaders from the territory of the nuclear power plant," Kotin added.

As reported, Director General of the IAEA Rafael Grossi said that the IAEA seeks to stop the shelling of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, other issues do not depend on the agency. He also indicated that he began to conduct consultations with the parties on the creation of a security zone in the ZNPP area – both with the Ukrainian and Russian sides.