IAEA chief to visit Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

VIENNA - The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Thursday that he will visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) next week as nuclear safety situation there "remains precarious."

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said in a statement that he will hold high-level talks and assess developments at the ZNPP during his visit.

Grossi's visit comes after what he called "recent deeply concerning incidents" at the ZNPP, including a fire that broke out at the plant's cooling tower and a drone strike close to the facility earlier this month.

"A nuclear accident must be avoided at all costs, and a nuclear power plant must never be attacked. The consequences could be disastrous, and no one stands to benefit from it," Grossi warned, adding that he remains determined to protect nuclear safety.

According to Thursday's statement, IAEA experts stationed at the ZNPP have "continued to hear explosions and other indications of military activities, at times near the plant itself."

Grossi also expressed increasing concerns over the growing vulnerability of Ukraine's energy infrastructure and its potential impact on the safety of the country's operating nuclear power plants.