The “bombardments of the plant and the surrounding area” would have to “be stopped immediately” in order to avoid further damage, the more than 50-page IAEA report continues.
Immediate measures are required to prevent worse things from happening, including a safety zone around the nuclear power plant, according to the report published on Tuesday by the UN agency, which summarizes the findings of the visit by experts to the nuclear power plant last week.
Fear of meltdown at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is locating damage at and around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine. In addition, due to the overloading of the staff, there is a risk of human error that could trigger a nuclear incident.
The IAEA is ready to set up such a zone immediately. The situation at the power plant is very worrying. During the investigation, damage was also found near the six reactors and the storage sites for nuclear waste. Although some work has already been carried out to repair the damage, this has not yet been completed. The building in which the warning system is located was also damaged.
Staff under tremendous stress
During their visit to the nuclear power plant, the IAEA inspectors noted the presence of Russian military personnel and armed forces vehicles and equipment. Supervised by Russian soldiers, the Ukrainian technicians at the power plant are under great stress and pressure, which can lead to human error.
The IAEA therefore calls for the restoration of an appropriate working environment for Ukrainian personnel – including contact and support from family. Many employees had left the nuclear power plant for as long as it was possible. The remaining team has to work a corresponding number of shifts and is overtired. Added to this is the constant pressure from the presence of enemy soldiers and the attacks on and around the site of the nuclear power plant.
Mutual finger pointing
For weeks, Kyiv and Moscow have been accusing each other of attacking the nuclear power plant and causing a super meltdown. None of the reactors are currently connected to the grid. However, a reactor produces electricity to cool the fuel rods and the other reactors.
According to Ukrainian state-owned operator Enerhoatom, the reason the last operating reactor was shut down was an attack-triggered fire that is said to have damaged a power line between the power plant and Ukraine’s power grid.
The IAEA mission, headed by its chairman Rafael Grossi, visited the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant last week. Six inspectors initially stayed there afterwards. Four of them left on Monday. The other two IAEA experts should remain “permanently,” according to Enerhoatom.
“Russia must withdraw”
Ukraine expects the IAEA mission to first provide an “accurate and independent assessment of the situation,” said Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in an interview with ZIB2 on Tuesday evening – and that affects not only Ukraine, but Europe and the whole world.”Russia must withdraw from the nuclear power plant – period, end and basta,” said Kuleba, who also rejected the accusation that Ukraine had fired at the power plant .
Interview with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Kuleba
The situation around the Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhia is causing great concern. And Kyiv continues to be confident of victory. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba from Kyiv is on these topics in the “ZIB 2” interview.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the warring parties Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday evening to agree on a non-combat zone around the endangered nuclear power plant. “Russian and Ukrainian armed forces must undertake no military activity towards or from the factory premises
to be carried out from the factory premises”.