**Greenpeace Warns IAEA: Don’t Let Russia Restart Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant**
Greenpeace Ukraine has urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to stop Russia from illegally restarting reactors at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. This comes as IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi is visiting Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.
**Russia’s Control Over ZNPP**
Russian forces have controlled Europe’s largest nuclear facility since March 2022. The plant has been disconnected from Ukraine’s power grid due to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, making a nuclear disaster more likely.
**Greenpeace Concerns**
Greenpeace is worried that Russia plans to restart the reactors to generate electricity for itself and maintain control over the plant. In December 2024, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said restarting the plant’s reactors was their “dream”. Greenpeace believes there is no legal or safety justification for restarting reactors under current occupation.
**IAEA Must Act**
Greenpeace has stressed that the IAEA must prevent Russia from restarting reactors at the ZNPP. Shaun Burnie, a nuclear specialist at Greenpeace Ukraine, said, “So long as Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains under illegal Russian occupation, there are no conditions that permit the restart of reactors.”
**IAEA Director’s Previous Statements**
In the past, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has said that restarting reactors is impossible under current wartime conditions. However, he has reportedly discussed with Rosatom the possibility of preparing the plant for future operations when conditions allow.
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