IAEA says Russia’s Chernobyl occupation was very dangerous

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency on Tuesday decried as “very, very dangerous” Russia’s temporary occupation of the Chernobyl nuclear power station and offered to help Ukraine repair damage caused to the stricken plant.

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

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced Russian behaviour at the site and said Moscow had shown total disregard for nuclear safety on the anniversary by sending rockets over Chernobyl and two other functioning nuclear power stations.