The water level in the reservoir that is supplying Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station fell throughout the day on Tuesday (6 June), but the facility has backup options available and there is no short-term risk to nuclear safety and security, International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Rafael Grossi said.

Grossi, who addressed the IAEA board of governors earlier on Tuesday on the evolving situation at Ukraine’s damaged Nova Kakhovka dam and its impact on the six-unit Zaporizhzhia, about 200 km upstream from the dam, said the loss rate had been changing, from around 5 cm per hour in the morning to nine cm/hour later in the afternoon.

Between 10.00 and 20.00 local time, the reservoir fell by a total of 83 cm to 15.44 metres, according to regular data received by the team of IAEA experts at the Zaporizhzhia.

If and when the level goes below 12.7 metres, Zaporizhzhia will no longer be able to pump water from the reservoir to replenish the reserves at the site, Grossi said.