IAEA Warns of Military Activity Near All Ukrainian Nuclear Plants

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi issued a fresh warning on Tuesday that military activity continues near all of Ukraine's nuclear power plants, emphasizing that the situation remains deeply concerning and requires sustained international attention.

All Four Ukrainian NPPs Under Threat

Ukraine operates four nuclear power plant sites: Zaporizhzhia (currently under Russian occupation), South Ukraine, Rivne, and Khmelnytskyi. According to Grossi, drone and missile activity, as well as artillery exchanges, have been recorded in proximity to all of them during recent weeks. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — Europe's largest, with six VVER-1000 reactors — remains occupied by Russian forces and has been a persistent focal point of nuclear safety concerns since March 2022.

IAEA Monitoring Teams on Site

IAEA monitoring teams have been stationed at Zaporizhzhia and other Ukrainian nuclear facilities since September 2022. The agency has repeatedly warned that external power supply disruptions, as well as nearby combat operations, pose direct risks to reactor cooling systems and spent fuel pools. All reactors at the occupied Zaporizhzhia plant are currently in cold shutdown.

International Calls for Nuclear Safety Zone

Grossi reiterated his call for a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia NPP, a proposal that has so far not been implemented. Ukraine and its Western allies have repeatedly called on Russia to return control of the plant to Ukrainian authorities and allow normal operational protocols to resume. The IAEA statement came as fighting intensified along the front line, with Ukrainian forces repelling 251 attacks on June 10 alone.