The head of UN nuclear watchdog shares concerns about Russia potentially restarting Zaporizhzhia plant

Russia might start the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine again, but for now, it's not safe. The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, talked about this on Monday. He met with a Russian official, Alexey Likhachev, in Kaliningrad. They discussed that Russia doesn't plan to close the plant. Even though Russia wants to use the plant, they agree that it's not safe to do so now. Zaporizhzhia is a big nuclear plant in Europe and one of the largest globally. It has six reactors that have been off for a while. But the plant still needs power and skilled workers to keep it safe. Russian troops took control of the plant after the invasion of Ukraine by President Putin in February 2022. There have been conflicts near the plant between Russia and Ukraine. The main risks of restarting the plant are the ongoing fighting in the area and the unstable power supply. Grossi said that to restart the plant safely, there should be no attacks and a steady power source. The International Atomic Energy Agency is worried about the plant's safety. They reported a power issue at the plant on May 23, showing how risky the situation is. In March, Grossi met with Russian President Putin in Sochi. They talked about the nuclear plant and its safety. Russia wants to use the Zaporizhzhia plant in the future, but for now, it's too risky.