The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi called his decision to change the mission at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant without Ukraine's consent an "extraordinary exception." This was reported by Voice of America, informs UNN.
Details
During the press conference, Grossi stated that his colleagues were forced to agree to the Russian terms of rotation.
What happened is an extraordinary circumstance caused by the inability to safely conduct a rotation. It is truly driven by the necessity to protect the lives of those who work there.
He emphasized that he informed about the rotation of officials in Ukraine, including President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"I don't think seeing anything more in this is a good idea. The only thing that prompted us to rotate in such an unusual way is that I am responsible for the safety of my staff and their lives. ... I believe there is no place for any other political considerations here," Grossi concluded.
Context
Recently, a new monitoring mission of the IAEA arrived at the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant with three specialists. The rotation of observers was delayed for almost a month due to difficulties with the safe passage of the team amid hostilities.
Later, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine stated that the rotation of IAEA experts at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is impossible without the approval of the Ukrainian authorities, as it violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.