The intense intervention of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA, IAEA) was caused by the new bombings against the nuclear power plant, just 500 km from the site of the worst nuclear accident in the world, the Chernobyl disaster in 1986
The intense intervention of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA, IAEA) was caused by the new bombings against the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the largest in Europe, which has been occupied by the Russian army.
Russia and Ukraine blamed each other for at least 12 new strikes, while the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, yesterday, Sunday, denounced the “deliberate and targeted” fire, calling for “an end to this madness” while describing the situation as “extremely serious”.
Repeated bombing of the plant in southern Ukraine has led to concerns that it could cause a major accident just 500km from the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident, the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
“About a dozen” strikes targeted the area around the station over the weekend, the IAEA said in a statement.
“Explosions occurred on the site of this large nuclear power plant, which is completely unacceptable,” Grossi told French broadcaster BFMTV.
“Whoever is behind this must be stopped immediately. As I have said many times in the past: you are playing with fire!”, he underlined. “People who do this know what they’re getting into. It’s absolutely intentional, targeted.”
Grossi, without placing blame on Russian or Ukrainian forces, expressed his dismay that “some consider the nuclear plant to be a legitimate military target.”
The IAEA, which has two inspectors at the station, has begun assessing the situation. “There was damage in quite sensitive areas,” Grossi estimated, while clarifying that the nuclear reactors have not been affected, but “mainly the area where new and used nuclear fuel are located.”
Zaporizhia NPP has six Soviet-designed VVER 1000 V-320 reactors containing uranium 235, which has a half-life of at least 700 million years.
The reactors are shut down but there is a risk that the nuclear fuel will overheat if the power to the cooling systems is cut. The bombings have repeatedly destroyed cables.
Warnings from Russia too
The head of Russia’s state-run atomic energy company, Rosatom, warned today that there is a risk of a nuclear accident at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, following new bombings over the weekend.
Moscow and Kyiv have traded accusations of shelling the facility for months after Russian forces took control of the station in March shortly after invading Ukraine. New bombings took place yesterday, Sunday, sparking new fears of a potential disaster at the facilities.
“The station is in danger of a nuclear accident. We were in negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency all night,” Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhatsov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
The head of Rosatom also said that it appears that Kyiv is willing to “accept” a “small nuclear accident” at the nuclear plant.
“This will be a precedent that will change the course of history forever. Therefore, everything possible should be done so that no one has in mind to violate the security of the nuclear power plant,” he said, according to the TASS news agency.
RES-EMP
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