The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant may face a new threat to nuclear and radiation safety as the six-year period allowed by the manufacturer for nuclear fuel in all six reactors will soon expire, the acting board chairman of the plant, Petro Kotin, said.
Further operation of such fuel violates the terms of technical specifications and can lead to the destruction of the integrity of fuel elements. As a result, it can lead to a radiation accident.
"Attempts by the invaders to switch ZNPP power units from cold shutdown to hot shutdown in turn further undermine the situation, not to mention the outright violation of the SNRIU licences for the operation of these nuclear facilities, i.e. both Ukrainian and international legislation," Kotin said.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said he was going to visit ZNPP, where the next rotation of mission experts will take place, and will also visit Moscow and Kyiv to discuss the safety of the plant.