The head of the United Nations Atomic Energy Agency has postponed his trip to the Ukrainian power plant in Zaporizhia because of the fighting in the area.

president International Atomic Energy Agency from ONU, Raphael Grossipostponed a planned trip to the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia, in the hands of Russia, So that travel becomes saferA senior Ukrainian government official said on Wednesday.

Grossi is expected to visit the facility on Wednesday. Following the talks in Kiev on Tuesday, But a diplomatic source said the visit would be delayed by “a few hours.”.

“You are waiting to be able to travel safely”said a senior Ukrainian government official, who spoke with him Reuters On condition of anonymity. The official did not say when Grossi would arrive at the plant in southeastern Ukraine.

Russian news agency user interface It quoted a local official ridden by Russia as saying Grossi would visit the factory on Thursday, without giving reasons for the delay.

Moscow and Kiev reported heavy fighting in southern and eastern Ukraine since the start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

It is, said Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Tuesday in Kiev “Very concerned” about the possibility that the nuclear power plant could become trapped in the Ukrainian counterattack To restore the territories occupied by Russia.

On Sunday, the International Atomic Energy Agency said it needed access to a site near the Zaporizhia plant Check the water level After the nearby reservoir lost much of its contents due to the destruction of the Kagovka Dam downstream.

Both sides accused each other of sabotaging the dam, which caused catastrophic floods. Western countries say they are still gathering evidence, but believe Ukraine had no reason to inflict such a catastrophe on itself.

Russian forces seized the hydroelectric dam and nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine shortly after their February 2022 invasion.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant uses a cooling pond to prevent overheating of its six reactors.

Ukraine’s nuclear energy company said on Tuesday that the pond level is stable and the water is high enough.

Speaking to the press in Kiev, where he met President Volodymyr Zelensky, Grossi noted that there was no immediate danger, but that it was a “dangerous situation”. He stated that his visit to the plant, which is the largest in Europe, would allow him to assess the risks more accurately.

Ukraine’s nuclear authorities said the Kakhovka reservoir was usually used to refill the pond, but now it cannot do so because of its low water level.

Alternatively, they said, the pond, which is separated from the reservoir, could be refilled using deep underground wells.

(With information from Reuters)

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