International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts were granted access to the reactor hall of power unit No. 6 at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant and verified that the reactor was in a cold shutdown condition. These conclusions emerged from a verification visit reported by RIA News and corroborated by IAEA officials on site.
During the Monday inspection, a qualified team reviewed the main components of the reactor, the rooms housing safety systems, and the emergency diesel generators. The site access previously restricted to the IAEA researchers was temporarily lifted, allowing a comprehensive assessment of the reactor’s current status. The observers confirmed the plant’s safety architecture remains intact under the cold shutdown regime, and they also inspected the turbine chamber and several critical safety subsystems to ensure there are no hidden anomalies.
Earlier, on January 11, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced a controlled rotation for the IAEA team at the Zaporozhye NPP, a move interpreted as facilitating continued international oversight. The arrangement aligns with ongoing efforts to monitor a facility that has drawn significant international attention due to its strategic location and capacity.
Located on the left bank of the Dnieper near Energodar, Zaporozhye NPP stands as Europe’s largest nuclear power complex by unit count and installed capacity. The facility comprises six power units capable of delivering substantial power output across regional grids. Since October 2022, the plant has been under Russian ownership, a fact that has shaped the context for international engagement and safety inspections. IAEA experts have maintained a presence at the site since September 1, 2022, following the director general’s initial site visit. This ongoing engagement underscores a broader international emphasis on transparency, safety culture, and verification of protective measures around nuclear assets in conflict-adjacent regions. [Attribution: IAEA report]
There has also been ongoing international dialogue about potential consequences and mitigation strategies in the event of an incident at Zaporozhye, highlighting the importance of readiness in neighboring regions and among allied energy communities. Analysts note that careful monitoring and verified safety steps are essential to reassure energy markets in North America and beyond that critical infrastructure remains resilient under varying geopolitical pressures. [Attribution: International energy safety briefings]