We are making progress on getting to Zaporizhia

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, confirmed today, Friday, that the agency is “making progress” on accessing nuclear weapons. Zaporizhia station Ukraine’s nuclear power after Kiev talked about the possibility of explosives on its surface.

“I think we’re making progress,” Grossi said in Tokyo, noting that officials have visited sites including the cooling basins but have not yet obtained permission to visit the roof, which Ukraine asserts may have been planted with explosive devices.

On Thursday, Ukraine announced a “reduction in tension” over the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, after an exchange of accusations between Kiev and Moscow this week of planning provocations at the atomic facility.

“The tension is gradually easing,” military spokeswoman Natalya Gomenok said, attributing this to the “tremendous work” of the Kiev army and diplomatic efforts “with our foreign partners who are putting pressure” on Russia.

Confirm the absence of mines and explosives

It is noteworthy that the IAEA demanded, on Wednesday, access to all buildings at the Zaporizhia nuclear plant, which is occupied by Russian forces in southern Ukraine, with the aim of “confirming the absence of mines or explosives at the site.”

And the Ukrainian army had warned earlier, Tuesday, of “the possibility of preparing a provocative operation on the territory of the Zaporizhia power plant in the near future.” He pointed to “objects resembling explosive devices placed on the outer roof of the third and fourth reactors” at the site.

In recent weeks, IAEA personnel at the site have inspected various sites “without noticing any traces of mines or explosives so far.”

However, the UN agency was unable to reach the rooftops of the buildings that house reactors 3 and 4, or even certain areas of the plant’s cooling system.