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Fire in Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia
Photo: Uncredited / dpa
From a Russian perspective, talks with Ukraine and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the safety of Ukraine's nuclear facilities could begin soon.
Moscow supports the corresponding proposal by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, said Russian Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov in Vienna on Monday.
The Director-General of the IAEA on Friday suggested swift negotiations for security guarantees under the auspices of the IAEA to avoid a nuclear accident in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The talks would likely be conducted by senior nuclear safety officials, Ulyanov told journalists ahead of a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors.
Now only Kyiv has to agree to the meeting.
Grossi had proposed the Chernobyl accident power plant in Ukraine as the venue for the negotiations.
"I don't think Chernobyl is the best place for such a meeting," Ulyanov said.
Many capital cities are better suited.
So far, Russian troops have taken control of Chernobyl and the Ukrainian Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
Last week, during the Russian advance on Zaporizhia, a fire broke out in a training building near the reactors.
As a result, no increased radioactivity was measured in the vicinity of the site.
Nevertheless, the attack caused great concern.
Ukraine's head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyj spoke of "nuclear terror".
No other country in the world has ever shelled nuclear facilities, said Zelenskyy.
The Atomic Energy Agency was "extremely concerned" about the situation in Europe's largest nuclear power plant.
According to the latest information from Kyiv, Russian forces have restricted communication between the nuclear power plant and the Ukrainian nuclear regulatory authority.
There are also problems in supplying employees with food.
mfh/dpa