'Many questions' for IAEA visit of Russian-held nuclear plant

Concerns have surrounded the safety of the power plant -- Europe's largestnuclear power station -- since it was seized by Russian forces in March 2022.
Its six reactors have been shut down, unprecedented for a plant of its size.
"On a technical point of view, we have many questions and we are trying toaddress these one by one with the administration," Grossi said in a pressconference in Kyiv.
Grossi heads the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that has had amonitoring team on the ground since September 2022.
But its experts have not been able to inspect every part of the powerstation, said Grossi, who will visit the plant on Wednesday.
At times "we weren't granted the access that we were requesting for certainareas of the facility," Grossi said.
"We were allowed partial access," he said, but "there are still some parts ofthe plant we have not been able to visit."
The Russian operator has started granting increasing access, Grossi said inKyiv on Tuesday after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The nuclear chief also raised the alarm over a drastic reduction in staffnumbers at the plant, which he plans to discuss on Wednesday with the Russianoperator.
Only around 4,500 staff are employed on site -- down from 11,500 before thewar -- triggering safety worries.
Grossi said he had fresh concerns over staffing levels after the Russianoperator barred pro-Ukrainian staff from working at the plant.
The IAEA has repeatedly warned of persistent nuclear safety and securityrisks at the site.
Grossi nevertheless hailed a "gradual increase in the way that both (Russianand Ukrainian) sides are following what the IAEA says."