Zaporizhia: the largest nuclear power plant in Europe "he's out of control," according to the director of the IAEA

Zaporizhia: the largest nuclear power plant in Europe "he’s out of control," according to the director of the IAEA

August 3, 2022, 23:10 PM

August 3, 2022, 23:10 PM

EPA
A Russian soldier guards the entrance to the Zaporizhia plant.

The gigantic Ukrainian nuclear plant in Zaporizhia, the largest in Europe, would be “completely out of control”, warned the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi.

The Zaporizhia plant, which was occupied by Russia last March, needs an inspectionin addition to reparations, Grossi said at a press conference from the United Nations headquarters in New York.

He indicated that the fighting is taking place dangerously near the atomic facility. “We’re seeing a list of things happen that should never happen in a nuclear plant,” she said.

Ukrainian officials have claimed that the Russians use the land of the plant, located on the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine, to house troops and store war material.

However, Yevgeny Balitsky, a pro-Russian officer in the region, claimed that Ukrainian forces were using the weapons provided by the West to attack the plant.

Balitsky said Russian agents were ready to show the IAEA how Russia he was protecting the nuclear station while the Ukrainians were attacking it.

Fire at Zaporizhia nuclear plant

Reuters
The Zaporizhia nuclear plant was seized by Russian troops in March.

Russian bombing of plant buildings generated the international rejection when Moscow seized the facility in March.

The plant continues to operate with Ukrainian officials following Russian orders.

The situation is very fragile. All nuclear safety principles have been violated, one way or another, and we cannot let that continue to happen,” Grossi said.

The IAEA director general insisted that he is trying to send a mission as soon as possible to visit the plant, but added that it would require the approval of both Ukraine and Russiain addition to the support of the UN, given the risks involved in entering a war zone.

In June, the Ukrainian state-owned company said that Ukraine had not invited the IAEA, and that any visit by the agency would legitimacy to the Russian occupation.

Grossi indicated that he and his team need protection to get to Zaporizhia.

Raphael Grossi

Getty Images
Rafael Grossi seeks to send an International Atomic Energy Agency mission to Zaporizhia.

“I beg both sides to allow this mission proceed“, he claimed.

IAEA contacts with the plant have been sporadic and the supply chain for equipment and spare parts has been interrupted, Grossi explained.

There was also a lot of nuclear material that needed to be inspected, he added.

“As long as this war continues, inaction is inexcusable“, said.

“If an accident occurs at the Zaporizhia nuclear plant, there will be no no natural event Who can we blame, only ourselves. We need everyone’s support.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia this week of using the plant as a military base to launch attacks on Ukrainian forces.

“Of course the Ukrainians they can’t return fire because they would risk having an accident with the nuclear plant,” Blinken explained.

In 1986, northern Ukraine became the scene of the worst nuclear disaster in history, following the explosion of a reactor at the nuclear power plant. Chernobyl.

Russian forces also seized Chernobyl shortly after the invasion on February 24 this year, but withdrew 5 weeks later.

There was damage and theft to the computers remaining on the site, but the nuclear equipment of the dismantled plant was not affected.

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