UN team to visit Ukraine nuclear plant

Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Monday that a team of 14 experts is headed to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. He did not provide details, but the group is slated to arrive later this week. The team’s mission is to inspect crucial safety systems that should help avoid a catastrophe similar to the 1986 Chernobyl explosion in Ukraine. Russian forces have occupied the plant since the early days of its war against Ukraine.

What preparations are being made for nuclear disaster? Ukrainian officials have begun handing out anti-radiation iodine tablets. Artillery strikes around the plant appear to be common, according to Ukraine and Russia, which consistently blame each other for endangering the facility. The plant was knocked offline last week amid an artillery barrage.

Dig deeper: Read Jenny Lind Schmitt’s report in WORLD magazine about helping Ukrainians cope with the effects of war.