IAEA Calls Occupation Of Chernobyl By Russian Troops Very Expensive, President Zelensky: They Don't Understand

PLTN Chernobyl in Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons / IAEA Imagebank)

JAKARTA - The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency on Tuesday condemned Russia's temporary occupation of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant as "very, very dangerous" and offered Ukraine assistance to repair the damage caused by the disaster-hit plant.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, was speaking on the 36th anniversary of the world's worst civilian nuclear power disaster at the plant when its fourth reactor caught fire and exploded on April 26, 1986.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticized Russia's behavior at the site some time ago, saying Moscow had shown complete disregard for nuclear safety at the anniversary, sending rockets to Chornobyl and two other functioning nuclear power stations.

It is understood Russian troops moved into a highly contaminated 'exclusion zone' around the Chernobyl plant, days after launching their attack on February 24. They resigned late last month.

"The situation is completely abnormal and very, very dangerous," Grossi told reporters outside the station 140 km (87 miles) north of Kyiv, cited from Reuters, April 27.

Meanwhile, President Zelensky, speaking in a late-night speech on Tuesday, said Russian troops had stolen equipment used to measure radiation.

Ukrainian officials previously complained troops had towed heavy equipment through the zone, intruding on the contaminated area and sending radioactive dust. Troops have temporarily prevented staff from leaving the station, where they keep an eye on large quantities of spent fuel and other radioactive material.

Speaking later in Kyiv after talks with Zelenskiy, Grossi said the IAEA and Ukraine would carry out 'special work' at Chernobyl, to restore "all the capacity there and the infrastructure damaged in recent weeks."

President Zelensky in his evening video said Russia's actions after taking over the factory meant "it seems they don't understand what Chornobyl is at all".