Following his visit to Kyiv for discussions with Ukrainian officials, The Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi and his delegation visited Moscow for talks with Russian nuclear officials. He was accompanied by Deputy Director General Lydie Evrard, Head of IAEA Department of Nuclear Safety & Security. The talks were held at the Atom pavilion in the All-Russia Exhibition Centre (VDNKh – Vistravka Dostizhenii Narodnovo Khozyaistva), where Gross was welcomed by Likhachev.
The Russian delegation, led by Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev, included: the head of regulator Rostekhnadzor, Alexander Trembitsky; the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to international organisations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov. Also present were representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry; Radiation, Chemical & Biological (RCBZ) Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation; and the Federal Service of National Guard Troops, Rosgvardiya. The talks began with a minute of silence in memory of Igor Kirillov, the chief of the RCBZ troops, who had attended all the previous meetings with IAEA and who was killed by an explosion in Moscow organised and acknowledged by the SBU (Ukrainian Intelligence).
Rosatom said “an honest and open dialogue took place”. The focus was on the safety of Zaporizhia NPP (ZNPP) and other NPPs. Likhachev gave “clear and principled assessments of the current situation”. He highlighted the efforts made by Russia to ensure the safe operation of ZNPP and to establish the lives of people in its satellite city Energodar in the face of constant attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He emphasised the importance of working with the IAEA, including at the station site.
Grossi, in turn, described how the IAEA Secretariat approaches the organisation of work at ZNPP, and spoke about his recent trip to Ukraine. Rosatom said other issues of cooperation between Russia and the IAEA of mutual interest were also raised. The parties confirmed the agreement to continue contacts on a regular basis.
One of the main topics of negotiations was the issue of rotation of IAEA specialists at ZNPP. Due to the fighting, the agency had to postpone the rotation, which will happen in the next few days, Rafael Grossi said. The rotation planned to be held on 5 February was postponed. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia had provided security guarantees to specialists of the agency’s secretariat and accompanying persons with a description of the specific rotation scheme, but less than two days before it began, the IAEA proposed changing previously agreed and tested procedure for crossing the line of contact. The proposed terms, according to Zakharova, created high risks for both representatives of the international structure and the Russian military. However, the rotation is now expected to take place in the next few days, Grossi said.
Following the talks, Grossi and Likhachev gave a briefing and press conference. Likhachev said Moscow had informed the IAEA about the current situation and appreciates its participation in ensuring security. He confirmed that the 27th mission of the IAEA experts to Zaporizhia NPP is being prepared.
“The situation on the contact line is not easy, the threat is growing. Obviously, as we move towards development and the end of the conflict, the stakes will increase, which means that our relationship with the IAEA and bringing it to the end will be even more valuable… The international community needs the most honest, unbiased and objective information about nuclear risks and the measures that we are taking to prevent these risks,” he noted.
Likhachev said Rosatom had informed the IAEA delegation “in the deepest possible way about the measures that are being taken to ensure unconditional nuclear safety of Zaporizhia NPP both in terms of the technical state of affairs and the physical protection of the plant”. At the same time, “the risks of attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine are increasing”. He added: “We see this both in the number of downed drones and missiles, and in the number of artillery strikes that fall on the territory practically adjacent to ZNPP, and this causes concern.” He mentioned the current pressure on personnel: “threats, terrorist attacks – of course, all this is a violation of the IAEA’s safety principles”. Likhachev also said explosions in the Kursk Region and dozens of downed drones and missiles heading towards the Smolensk NPP threatened nuclear safety and required a response from the IAEA.
Grossi agreed that the number of attacks on the NPP is growing, and the security situation remains difficult. “The security situation continues to be very difficult. Moreover, we note that there are more attacks. We do not specify a specific figure, this is not our responsibility. But we note that the number of attacks is increasing, “
“We provide all the evidence we have on the basis of the elements we can independently assess. But unless we have irrefutable evidence we cannot point fingers. The IAEA is an inspectorate.” Grossi added that it was not possible to establish the origin of the drones. “Small fragments of plastic or wood left over from alleged UAVs, drones, do not allow us to talk about the origin of these fragments and these devices”. But he added: “let me assure you that I am constantly raising these issues, which is obvious from my recent meetings at the highest levels where I need to do it.”
Grossi said this was not the only issue discussed in the talks. “Without for a single minute forgetting the conflict, there is a world out there.” Referring to the growing global interest in nuclear energy he noted that Rosatom is a central player in the development of peaceful nuclear energy in the world. “There is a global interest in nuclear energy, and Rosatom certainly plays a central role in this country and in many other countries,” he said, adding that the IAEA “has a lot to discuss with Mr Likhachev and his team.
Likhachev said Russia will increase participation in bilateral and multilateral international nuclear projects. “Our interaction with the IAEA and direct support for our projects are valuable to us,” he added. “I agree with Rafael – without stopping for a second to work on today’s challenges, we must continue to look to the future,” he stressed.
