Rescuers from the Ukrainian Ministry of Emergency Management attend a drill in the Zaporiza city on the 17th, in preparation for a possible nuclear accident at the Zaporiza nuclear power plant. AFP Yonhap News
Tensions are escalating over the Russian-controlled nuclear power plant in Ukraine’s Zaporiza. The UN and Ukraine have agreed to demilitarize the nuclear power plant in Zaporiza, but it is unclear whether Russia will accept it.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met on the 18th (local time) in Lviv, western Ukraine, and agreed to send an IAEA inspection team to the Zaporiza nuclear power plant as soon as possible.
President Zelensky asked Guterres to take measures to ensure the safety of inspections by the IAEA, including the demilitarization of the nuclear power plant area. Guterres also said, “Nuclear facilities should not be used as part of a military operation,” adding, “An agreement is urgently needed to rebuild the nuclear power plant area into a pure civilian infrastructure and ensure safety.”
Such an agreement between Ukraine and the United Nations is a result of growing international concerns regarding the Zaporiza nuclear power plant in the middle of the battlefield.
The Zaporiza nuclear power plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, located in Enerhodar, Zaporiza Oblast, in southern Ukraine. It has six nuclear reactors and two are currently in operation. It accounts for 20% of Ukraine’s electricity. Since the Russian military occupied Zaporiza in early March, the nuclear power plant has been operated by the Ukrainian state-owned nuclear power company Energoatom under the control of the Russian military.
During the occupation, a fire was raised in the buildings around the Zaporiza nuclear power plant due to Russian bombardment, raising concerns regarding a nuclear accident. The Russian military has built a surface-to-air missile defense system near the nuclear power plant in the name of defending once morest multiple rocket attacks by the Ukrainian military. It was pointed out that a military fortress was built here by taking advantage of the fact that the Ukrainian army might not easily attack due to concerns regarding radiation leakage.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (right) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hold a joint press conference in Lviv, Ukraine, on the 18th (local time). EPA Yonhap News
In particular, since the beginning of this month, military activities aimed at nuclear power plants, such as shelling and fires following one following another, have continued, raising concerns regarding the safety of nuclear power plants. The Japoriza nuclear power plant has six internal reactors and 174 spent nuclear fuel stored in external storage facilities. This is because, in the course of a military conflict, if a nuclear power plant facility is attacked and radioactive material is leaked, a catastrophe such as the Chernobyl disaster can occur.
Ukraine and the United Nations have agreed on a plan for the IAEA’s on-site inspection, but it is unclear whether Russia will accept it and respond to the inspection team’s activities. This is because Russia, which has taken control of the nuclear power plant, claims that Ukraine attacked it, and Ukraine is also making the opposite claim and is continuing a battle of responsibility.
In particular, Russia is raising the level of offensive, saying it might shut down the nuclear power plant if the Ukrainian bombardment continues. It suggested that the electricity supply to Ukrainian cities might be cut off. Furthermore, Igor Kirilov, commander of the Russian Ministry of Defense’s CBC defense, said at a briefing on the 18th that “the reserve system of the Zaporiza nuclear power plant was damaged by bombardment.” he warned.
In such a situation, Ukraine and Russia are ready to shift responsibility in case of an intentional ‘provocation’ by the other side at the nuclear power plant. A spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense Intelligence said in an interview with NBC that “we have received information that the majority of nuclear power workers have been instructed not to go to work on Friday (19th),” claiming that this might be evidence that Russia is planning provocations at the nuclear power plant. . On the other hand, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said, “Ukraine is preparing for a provocation at the Zaporiza nuclear power plant in time for the visit of the UN Secretary-General.” It is claimed that Ukraine intentionally caused a nuclear accident at a nuclear power plant and was trying to blame Russia for its actions.
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