IAEA chief warns of nuclear safety risks in Ukraine

KYIV - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi had warned of continued nuclear safety concerns in Ukraine, the Ukrainian TSN.ua media outlet reported Wednesday.

"It is clear that the dangers to nuclear safety continue to be very real and ever-present," Grossi was quoted as saying during his visit to Ukraine on Tuesday.

He emphasized that the presence of the agency at the Ukrainian nuclear power plants is essential to helping prevent a severe nuclear accident.

The Chernobyl plant saw one of the worst nuclear accidents in history on April 26, 1986, when a series of explosions ripped through the No 4 reactor, causing radiation to spread across Ukraine and other European countries.