The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine is in the hands of Russian troops. Moscow wants to switch the plant to Crimea, but the Ukrainian nuclear company is threatening to destroy the power line in this case.
After the shelling of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia in the Russian-occupied south of Ukraine, Russia and the West are arguing about the safety of the power plant.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has again accused the United Nations of preventing an inspection of the nuclear power plant by experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The foreign ministers of the seven leading democratic economic powers (G7) called on Moscow to return the power plant to Ukraine’s control. “It is Russia’s continued domination of the nuclear power plant that is endangering the region,” they said.
Ukrainian nuclear company threatens to destroy power lines
Ukraine has threatened to cut power lines if it joins Russia’s annexed Crimea. “I think our armed forces will be ready if necessary,” Petro Kotin, head of state-owned Enerhoatom nuclear power plant operator, told RBK-Ukrayina agency. This could happen before the power plant is disconnected from the Ukrainian grid.
According to Kotin, Russia has long wanted to connect the nuclear power plant to Crimea. “To do this, the power plant must be completely disconnected from the Ukrainian energy system and connected to the line that connects Crimea to the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant,” explained the 61-year-old. Kotin also said that Ukrainian troops would shell power lines if Russia connected the nuclear power plant to its grid. The nuclear power plant located in the city of Enerhodar was shelled at the weekend and partially damaged. Russia and Ukraine blame each other. However, the critical infrastructure should be intact. After the emergency shutdown of a unit, two reactors are still in operation. At Russia’s initiative, the UN Security Council is due to deal with the shelling this Thursday. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi is to inform the panel about the condition of the nuclear power plant.
Moscow accuses UN of “irresponsible action”.
G7 foreign ministers warn that Russia’s actions at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant increase the risk of a nuclear incident. “Ukrainian personnel responsible for the operation of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant must be able to carry out their duties without threats or pressure,” said the Foreign Office in Berlin in a statement by the G7 foreign ministers. It is important to send experts from the IAEA who can freely contact the Ukrainian personnel who are responsible for the operation of the facilities. The G7 also extended their request to all other nuclear facilities within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders.
The spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, on the other hand, accuses the United Nations of “irresponsible action”. The Russian Foreign Ministry had previously complained that a planned trip by IAEA representatives to the nuclear power plant had failed due to security concerns raised by the responsible UN secretariat. “In the UN Secretariat, which deals with the problems of nuclear energy, including the consequences of technical disasters and the problem in the broadest sense, they should understand that the world is on the brink,” Zakharova said.
“The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant works with the risk of violations of radiation and fire safety requirements,” said the power plant operator Enerhoatom. The head of the authority, Petro Kotin, accused Russia on Ukrainian television of wanting to separate the nuclear power plant from the Ukrainian grid by targeting high-voltage lines on the power plant site and then connecting it to the Crimean peninsula 150 kilometers away.
Source: Stern
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