IAEA teams in Ukraine reported explosions and other signs of intense military activity near the Khmelnytsky and Rivne nuclear power plants during the Russian attack on the night of September 10.
This is stated in a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
IAEA teams at the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear power plants reported hearing explosions and gunshots on the night of September 9-10. The experts also reported the sounds of drones flying near Netishin and Varash – the cities where the Agency’s observers are based near the nuclear power plants.
In particular, nine drones were found near the Khmelnytsky NPP, flying three kilometers from the city where the IAEA experts are located. 13 drones were found several kilometers away from the Rivne NPP.
While there were no reports of direct impacts on nuclear safety and security at the two sites, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stressed that any military activity near the nuclear power plants could put them at risk and must be stopped immediately.
"I am deeply concerned by the events of last night. According to our teams on the ground, there was extremely large-scale military activity in the vicinity of these two nuclear power plants, which should never happen. I again call for maximum military restraint near such facilities. A serious nuclear accident is in no one's interests and must be prevented."
On the morning of September 10, the IAEA team at the Khmelnytsky NPP received information that the plant had detected nine drones flying within three kilometers of the facility overnight, while the Rivne NPP reported observing 13 such drones in its surveillance zone. This came a week after the Rivne NPP team had previously heard military activity from its hotel, which had been rare until now.
Grossi said such military activity near nuclear power plants poses a threat to the seven indispensable principles for ensuring nuclear safety during armed conflict that he outlined in March 2022, especially "Principle 1" on the physical integrity of nuclear facilities and "Principle 3" on the safety of operating personnel.
Let us recall that earlier the head of the Bureau of Comprehensive Analysis and Forecasts, energy expert Sergey Dyachenko reported that the launch of the Zaporizhzhya NPP under occupation conditions is impossible and poses a serious danger.