Rafael Grossi condemns attacks on nuclear workers and calls for restraint amid Zaporizhzhia incident
Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, stated that any assault on workers at a nuclear power plant and any threat against their safety are unacceptable. The remarks come after reports about actions targeting Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant personnel, raising concerns about safety culture amid ongoing hostilities. For readers in Canada and the United States, the message reinforces a global standard that plant staff must be protected from political or military pressure to keep operations safe. Source: IAEA.
In March 2022 the IAEA laid out seven indispensable pillars of nuclear safety, a framework supported by its Member States. These pillars frame the way safety is approached in operating reactors, including the protection of workers, the reliability of safety systems, and disciplined decision making by plant staff. The third pillar requires service personnel to fulfill their safety responsibilities and make decisions without undue pressure. This principle sits at the heart of Zaporizhzhia safety discussions and guides practices at reactors around the world. Source: IAEA.
Grossi stressed that any attack on nuclear power plant employees would breach this core safety principle and undermine the ability of staff to carry out their duties during a crisis. He noted that such threats deprive workers of safe conditions for performing their tasks, particularly when they are not responsible for the political or military conflicts surrounding the facility. The comments echoed the expectation that operators maintain a calm, safety focused posture regardless of the wider situation. Source: IAEA.
The IAEA Director General called for restraint during the ongoing conflict, warning that actions against Zaporizhzhia NPP personnel have direct implications for nuclear security and must come to an end. The agency continues to monitor the situation and provides technical support to protect workers and safeguard energy operations across borders. The message carries significance for power systems in North America, where Canada and the United States rely on established safety norms to protect workers while maintaining reliable electricity supply. Source: IAEA.
On 4 October in Energodar, the car of ZNPP security chief Andrei Korotky was destroyed in an explosion. Korotky later died of his injuries. The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense claimed responsibility for the incident, labeling Korotky a war criminal and collaborator. The case is under investigation, with officials promising verification as information emerges from the scene. Source: Ukrainian authorities; independent verification ongoing.
A former director of Zaporizhzhia NPP described the event as a terrorist attack that killed a plant worker, highlighting the risk such actions pose to critical energy infrastructure and to the safety of personnel who keep operations running under difficult conditions. The unfolding situation underscores the need for continued international oversight, clear lines of authority, and strong protective measures for workers across all reactors in volatile environments. Source: security briefs.