The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), led by the Argentine Raphael Grossi, warned in a 52-page report that “It is urgent to take provisional measures” at that plant, such as “the establishment of a nuclear security and protection zone”.
“The shelling of the site and its surroundings must cease immediately to prevent further damage to the facilities,” the IAEA insisted.who was “willing to initiate consultations”, according to the AFP news agency.
In the report, the IAEA highlighted the “extremely stressful conditions” in which Ukrainian personnel work at the Zaporizhia plant, under the control of Russian troops since last March, just days after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
After the publication of the report, Grossi spoke before the UN Security Council and explained that until the armed conflict is over, “urgent measures” will be needed to prevent a nuclear catastrophe.
“Now we have a concrete and detailed technical plan for security and protection assistance to Ukraine’s nuclear facilities and activities,” Grossi tweeted, after his presentation.
Until the conflict ends “urgent provisional measures are needed to avoid a nuclear accident caused by military means; this can be achieved through the immediate establishment of a protection zone, we are ready to immediately start consultations leading to the establishment of a plant” , he added.
criticism of Russia
Russia lamented that a report by the UN nuclear watchdog warning of risks at the Zaporizhia plant did not hold Ukraine responsible for bombing the Moscow-occupied site.
“We regret that your report does not directly name the source of the bombing,” the Russian ambassador to the UN said.Vasily Nebenzya, before the Council.
For weeks, confusion has reigned over the province of Zaporizhia, where Enerdogar is located, a city where the largest nuclear power plant in Europe is located, which suffered multiple attacks of which both parties accuse each other, with the risk of a nuclear catastrophe.
Today, after an IAEA delegation was able to visit the nuclear power plant facilities last Thursday, after arduous negotiations with Russia and Ukraine, Grossi declared that the “physical integrity” of the plant’s infrastructure had been “violated on several occasions “.
While most of the international team left the plant on Friday, two of the six experts stayed on permanently.
War in Ukraine Zaporizhia nuclear plant
Photo: Reuters
Disconnection of the last reactor
The presentation of the report took place a day after the disconnection of the last reactor in operation at the plant, located in the south of Ukraine.
This line “was deliberately disconnected to extinguish a fire,” the IAEA explained. and specified that since “it was not damaged” it should reconnect as soon as possible.
According to the Ukrainian operator Energoatom, the fire “started because of shelling.”
“Once again – this is the second time – due to Russian provocations, the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant was on the verge of a radiological catastrophe,” Zelensky claimed.
The mayor of Enerdogar, Dmytro Orlov, denounced today on Telegram that the city was being bombed “by the occupants” and that “the provocations” continued, while Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk called for the opening of a humanitarian corridor for civilians who wish to leave the area.
zelensky and grossi.jpg
Ukrainian bombardment
The Russian Ministry of Defense He rejected the accusation and blamed the Ukrainian army for bombing the plant again.
“In the last 24 hours, the Ukrainian armed forces have fired 15 times with artillery on the city of Energodar and the territory of the Zaporizhia NPP”reported on Telegram.
According to the report, three projectiles fell in the territory of the plant, one of them exploded near the water storage tanks near the second reactor.
“The radioactivity at the site of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is within the norms,” the ministry said, the Sputnik news agency replied.
Vladimir Rogov, administrator appointed by the Kremlin in that region that Russia has controlled since March, said that the shots damaged a power line, which caused the reduction of the capacity of the sixth reactor, the last in operation.
“The nuclear power plant is working to meet its own electricity needs,” Rogov added on Telegram.
The attacks also continued in other parts of Ukraine: the mayor of Kharkov, the country’s second largest city, denounced that Russia had bombed an apartment building, while in Kryvy Rig, a city in the center of the country, regional authorities reported a “big fire” in an oil depot after a Russian attack.
In eastern Russia, President Vladimir Putin today witnessed large-scale military exercises involving several allied countries, including China, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said.
For his part, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, He participated virtually in the opening of the New York Stock Exchange, where he expressed that Ukraine is “rebuilding” its economy, a situation that he described as “an opportunity” for foreign investment.
“We are rebuilding our economy,” Zelensky outlined in a video, and assured that “Ukraine is the case of a future victory and an opportunity for them to invest now in projects that generate hundreds of billions of dollars, to share the victory with us. “.
Last June, the Ukrainian government launched a platform of more than 500 projects worth 400,000 million dollars for foreign investors to help rebuild the Ukrainian economy, which, according to authorities, will need at least 750,000 million dollars to get out of the water. , while the fighting intensifies in different parts of the country and the war between Russia and Ukraine is already over six months.
Source: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
