Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Monday that he has started consultations with both Ukraine and Russia to protect the area around Europe's largest nuclear power plant, despite the conflict between the two nations.
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency made his proposal last week after leading a team of inspectors to the nuclear plant - Europe’s biggest, having six reactors - but gave few details at the time.
“What we need here really is Ukraine and Russia to agree on a very simple principle of not attacking, or not shelling, at the plant,” Grossi told reporters at the agency’s Vienna headquarters.
Last week, the plant was knocked off Ukraine’s electricity grid after a fire caused by Russian shelling brought down its last transmission line, according to the facility’s operator. Russia, however, blamed Ukraine for the shelling; the IAEA has not assigned blame for the operation.
The...