UN nuclear agency pushes for access to Zaporizhzhia plant roof after reports of Russian explosives

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — The head of the UN nuclear agency, the IAEA, says he’s pushing for access to the roof of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, following reports from Ukrainian officials that the Russians planted explosives there. The plant was seized by Russia, in March 2022, in the first weeks of the war in Ukraine, raising fears of a nuclear accident. The Russians have only allowed IAEA officials limited access to the plant, citing the security situation. The head of the IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, says he’s optimistic and is continuing the conversation with the Russians. He was speaking at the end of a trip to Japan, where he was inspecting the Fukushima nuclear plant, which was wrecked by a tsunami.