**IAEA Chief to Visit Kyiv Next Week**
Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will travel to Kyiv on February 4. He will meet with high-level officials to discuss ways to prevent nuclear accidents during times of war.
The IAEA is a United Nations agency that oversees nuclear safety worldwide. It has been monitoring Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is occupied by Russian forces, since September 2022. This is Grossi’s 11th visit to Ukraine since Russia‘s full-scale invasion began.
**Ukraine Relies on Nuclear Power**
Grossi said that the IAEA will continue to work in Ukraine as long as the war continues. The agency wants to ensure nuclear safety and security, even in challenging circumstances.
Ukraine gets more than half of its energy from nuclear power plants. As Russian attacks damage the country’s energy infrastructure, this reliance on nuclear power is becoming increasingly important.
**Monitoring Nuclear Facilities**
In addition to Zaporizhzhia, IAEA experts are monitoring other nuclear facilities in Ukraine, including Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, South Ukraine, and Chornobyl. The agency has warned that military activity near these sites increases the risk of a nuclear disaster.
Recently, a power line at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant was disconnected due to unspecified military activity. Other facilities experienced air raid alerts and drone sightings. At Zaporizhzhia, IAEA teams reported daily explosions but no damage to the plant itself.
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