IAEA chief Rafael Gross calls for protecting Zaporizhzhia nuclear power in a meeting with President Putin in Russia

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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Gross met the Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg, amid concern over the safety of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

Rafael Gross met Putin after his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv last week. 

Rafael Gross called for setting up a protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear power plant and asserted that they cannot lose any more time. He emphasised that Russia and Ukraine must do everything to help in ensuring that a nuclear accident does not occur during the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Concern over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant 

The 6000 MW Zaporizhzhia nuclear power complex is the largest European nuclear power complex which has been occupied by the invading Russian forces since early March 2022.

The area has been heavily fortified by the Russian military and the Ukrainian forces are also launching a counter attack. This has led to the fear that the nuclear complex could be hit in an attack which could lead to a nuclear catastrophe in the area. 

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

The IAEA was set up in 1957 as an agency of the United Nations.

The IAEA was set up to work with the member countries and multiple partners worldwide to promote safe, secure and peaceful nuclear technologies. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency is the world's central intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the nuclear field.

Member Countries: 175

The IAEA headquarters is at Vienna, Austria and it has two regional offices located in Toronto, Canada and Tokyo, Japan,

Director General: Rafael Gross