International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi gave an overview of global nuclear safety and governance issues, particularly in respect of facilities at risk from military action in Ukraine and Iran, in his second 2025 report to the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna on Monday.
He seemed sanguine about developments in Iran despite Tehran having passed legislation to suspend cooperation with the IAEA in July, and contended that technical and diplomatic discussions were continuing.
He voiced concern over nuclear safety in Ukraine, citing immediate risks at the Zaporizhzhia and Chornobyl nuclear power plants (NPPs), while warning that ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks threaten the IAEA’s “Seven Pillars of Nuclear Safety” and other sites.
IAEA’s 7 pillars of nuclear safety
- Physical Integrity of nuclear sites, including reactors, fuel ponds, and waste stores, is to be adequately maintained.
- All safety and security systems designed to protect against accidents or malicious acts must always be fully operational.
- Operating staff at nuclear facilities must be qualified and have the authority to make critical safety and security decisions free from outside pressure.
- Secure and reliable off-site power supply to the nuclear site is essential to the functioning of safety systems at all nuclear sites.
- Transportation of essential equipment, fuel, and other necessary supplies must have uninterrupted access to and from the site.
- Effective systems for monitoring radiation levels and plans for responding to any incidents are crucial.
- Reliable communication channels must be maintained between the nuclear site, the regulatory bodies, and other relevant entities.
Zaporizhzhia NPP and the 7 pillars
Grossi categorized the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP as particularly precarious, saying that six of the seven pillars of safety at the site had been compromised since Russian forces seized the site in March 2022.
He pointed out that only one off-site power line remains intact, posing serious safety risks if it fails or is compromised. All six reactors at the NPP are in “cold shutdown” and none could be safely started under current conditions.
The cooling pond level has dropped to 13.4 meters (44 feet), which is perilously close to the 12-meter (39-feet) level at which cooling systems were likely to fail. A long-term solution is needed to maintain the system, including a water pumping station.
He said that continuing military action around the NPP threatened not only the site but also added to the stress and physical risk to which on-site workers were being exposed.
Chornobyl NPP
At Chornobyl, the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster, three of the IAEA’s seven pillars remain compromised after a Russian drone strike damaged the New Safe Confinement (NSC) in February, with the structure at risk of worsening over winter without urgent repairs, according to Grossi.
Grossi said the IAEA signed a memorandum with Ukraine, subject to approval and fund allocation, to allow the scope of necessary repairs to the NSC to be identified, designed, implemented and tested under IAEA supervision as work progresses.
Other Ukrainian NPPs
He said that the Khmelnitsky, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs continue to operate, supplying electricity to Ukraine’s national grid despite the ongoing war. Staff at the sites regularly experience air raid alarms but, to date, there have been no actual strikes on the plants.
However, Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including the substations, have the potential to compromise safe operation of the plants, endangering pillar four – the need for a secure and reliable off-site power supply.
Continuing support
Grossi paid particular compliments to agency staff who, despite the dangers they faced, continued to carry out essential monitoring duties and prioritize and deliver equipment necessary to support nuclear safety and security in Ukraine.
He said that more than 150 shipments of nuclear safety gear, medical supplies, and isotopic-technique equipment have been made to the NPPs. In addition, following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, remote mental health workshops were held to support psychologists working with NPP staff.
He said that this was achieved through contributions by 30 donor states and the EU totaling more than €19.4 million ($15.8 million), but added that a further €22 million ($26 million) was needed to maintain essential support through 2026.
The future of Zaporizhzhia NPP
The Zaporizhzhia NPP was the largest nuclear facility in Europe and generated about a fifth of Ukraine’s electricity before the war, as outlined in a 2024 Kyiv Post analysis during the summer blackouts.
Following Russia’s occupation of the plant in March 2022, all power units were put into cold shutdown in September that year.
US President Donald Trump reportedly proposed that the US take control of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, including the Zaporizhzhia NPP, as part of a future peace deal.
Moscow initially rejected the proposal, but on Sept. 2, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin announced his readiness to consider the plan under “favorable circumstances.”
Discussions on handing over control of the plant remained at the conceptual stage and went no further.