A planned rotation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors has been successfully carried out at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in southern Ukraine, the facility’s press service confirmed on Friday, 17 April 2026.
According to an official statement published by the plant on the Max platform, four newly arrived specialists have commenced operations as part of the agency’s 34th monitoring mission, tasked with overseeing the operational safety of Europe’s largest nuclear facility. The handover proceeded in what the plant described as a wholly routine manner, with no disruptions reported to the transition process.
“The planned rotation of observers of the International Atomic Energy Agency took place at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. The next shift of the agency’s experts took place in a regular mode. Four specialists who joined the 34th mission began work to monitor the operational safety of the station,” the plant’s statement read.
The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant is situated on the left bank of the Dnieper River, in proximity to the city of Energodar. It holds the distinction of being the largest nuclear power station in Europe by both the number of reactor units and installed capacity, comprising six power units each rated at one gigawatt. The facility has been under Russian administrative control since October 2022, following the broader geopolitical upheaval in the region.
The IAEA has maintained a continuous physical presence at the ZNPP since September 2022, with successive expert teams monitoring nuclear safety parameters amid ongoing concerns over the plant’s vulnerability in an active conflict zone. The uninterrupted nature of these rotations is widely regarded as a critical stabilising factor in preventing a potential nuclear incident at the site.
Find more details at Sputnik International.