Dramatic appeal by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency to Russia and Ukraine to allow a specialized team to go to the nuclear plant.
“Out of control” is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhiaas stated by its head International Atomic Energy AgencyRafael Grossi, who appealed to Russia and Ukraine to immediately allow experts to visit the station to stabilize the situation so that to avoid a nuclear accident.
As he said in an interview with Associated Pressthe situation is becoming more dangerous every day at the Zaporizhia plant, which Russian troops seized in early March.
“Every principle of nuclear safety has been violated” at the factory, he said and underlined that “what is at stake is extremely serious and extremely dangerous.”
Grossi spoke of multiple safety violations at the plant, adding that it is located “in a place where war is going on”near territory controlled by Russia.
There is “a paradoxical situation”in which the plant is controlled by Russia, but Ukrainian personnel continue to carry out their nuclear operations, leading to inevitable moments of friction and violence, he noted.
He added he said that the supply chain for equipment and spare parts has been disrupted“so we’re not sure the factory is getting everything it needs.”. In fact, he stated that the International Atomic Energy Agency must move forward in inspection of the station to ensure that nuclear material is protected, as it did at the Chernobyl station. “And there’s a lot of nuclear material there that needs to be inspected.”he emphasized.
The Russian seizure of Zaporizhia has heightened fears that the largest of Ukraine’s 15 nuclear reactors could be damagedtriggering another emergency such as the 1986 Chernobyl accident, the world’s worst nuclear disaster, which occurred about 110 kilometers (65 miles) north of the capital Kyiv.
The head of the IAEA said that he and his team they need protection to reach the factory and the urgent cooperation between Russia and Ukraine. “Each side wants this international mission to go from different locations, which is understandable in light of territorial integrity and political considerations.”he said, but there is something more urgent and that is the transfer of the Organization team to Zaporizhia.
“The IAEA, with its presence, will be a deterrent to any act of violence against this nuclear plantGrossi noted. “So I’m begging you as the head of an international organization, I’m begging both sides, to let this mission go ahead“, he added.
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