IAEA's Grossi: Great threat facing Ukraine's largest nuclear power station

VIENNE, June 6 (KUNA) -- The Zaporizhzhia Ukrainian nuclear power station, which is the largest energy plant in Europe, is under great threat and its safety is endangered, as well as the guarantee systems in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Agency's Director General of, Rafael Grossi said earlier on Monday. The IAEA is deeply concerned over the exhausting and difficult labor environment in in which the Ukrainian administrative and experts are working at the station, Grossi added in a statement before the IAEA Board of Governors, which kicked off its five-day activities earlier at Vienna, capital of Austria. Supervision and operative responsibility are vital issues for not only the safety and security of this power station, but also to allow IAEA inspectors to continue their normal inspecting unavoidable activities there, he affirmed. Regarding nuclear power stations in Ukraine, there are fears of shortage in importing of Zaporizhzhia Stations' special spare parts, which poses violation to at least five of the main seven pillar in the field of nuclear safety and security at this location. The Ukrainian authorities informed Grossi of losing control on nuclear substances in the station, which normally undergoes guarantee agreement between Ukraine and IAEA, as well as losing guarantee data that usually arrives to the station from IAEA headquarters in Vienna. Concluding his speech at the venue, Grossi stressed the importance of a proper security and protection of the Ukrainian nuclear facilities. IAEA will follow up with this issue closely, and overcome the logistic difficulties and any other considerations. (pickup previous) amg.lb