Lavrov and Grossi met and discussed the state of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant

  On the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met and talked with the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi. According to the TASS agency, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the occasion of the meeting between Lavrov and Grosi and said: “Moscow continues to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to contain the threats of the Kiev regime against the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.” In this statement, Lavrov and Grossi exchanged views on key areas of the agency’s work. The statement noted that during the meeting between Lavrov and Grossi, the issue of safety at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant was also discussed in detail, and said: “Moscow emphasized its commitment to further cooperation with the IAEA in order to reduce threats.”

Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, located in the city of Energodar, has a capacity of about 6 gigawatts and is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, under the control of Russian forces since the end of February 2022. Since then, according to the Russian Federation, Ukrainian military units have periodically shelled residential areas of the city and even the territory of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant using drones, heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS). On February 21, 2022, the Russian President recognized the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics in the Donbass, and three days later began a war against Ukraine, which he called a “special operation.” Thus, tense relations between Moscow and Kiev escalated into a military confrontation. Last September, the Russian President announced his readiness to hold peace negotiations with Kiev and asked Ukraine to stop hostilities. But Zelensky, influenced by hawkish Western officials, has said he is ready to negotiate when another president comes to power in Russia.