Paris has received Russian and Ukrainian security guarantees for an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission to the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters on Friday.
"We have received security guarantees from Ukraine and Russia for the forthcoming independent mission that could help protect the plant," he pointed out.
The French president stressed that he was seriously concerned about ensuring the safety of the nuclear power plant and had been in contact with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi since March over issues related to the Chernobyl and Zaporozhye nuclear facilities. Macron added that he had held many contacts on the matter with Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Vladimir Zelensky of Ukraine.
"Military activities should not affect the nuclear power plant’s security," the French president emphasized. "The plant should be fully protected and this is what’s going to be the mission of the IAEA experts who will visit the site in the near future," Macron said, adding: "Civilian energy production should not be used as a military tool."
The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, located in the city of Energodar, is controlled by Russian troops. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Ukrainian military have carried out several strikes against the facility in recent days, which particularly involved drones, heavy artillery and multiple rocket launchers. Most attacks were repelled by Russia’s air defenses, but some infrastructure sites and the nuclear waste storage area were hit.
