UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that further artillery strikes against Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant could “cause disaster” at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
The facility was taken over by Russia in early March, and last week there were new reports of military attacks on the site. Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the attacks.
Ukrainians claim that because it is a place where Ukrainian forces cannot retaliate, Russia has turned the area into a military base and launched attacks from there.
On Wednesday, 10/08, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries, consisting of the seven most industrialized countries in the world, said that Russia should immediately return control of the plant to Kiev.
The United States has called for the creation of a demilitarized zone around the nuclear unit.
“Fighting near a nuclear power plant is dangerous and irresponsible,” a US State Department spokesperson said.
Image: ENERGOATOM
Moscow denied authorship of bulletins
“Russian invaders have re-bombed the Zaporizhzhia facility and areas close to the nuclear facility,” Ukraine’s nuclear agency Enerhoatom said on Thursday, 11/08.
The agency claims that an administrative sector close to the source area was hit and several radiation sensors were damaged. A small fire broke out in a nearby vegetation area, but there were no casualties.
The fire station located near the facility was also hit, making it impossible for firefighters to change shifts, according to the agency.
Zaporizhzhia: the chronology of the crisis
- March 2022: Shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, Russian troops took control of the plant and told the site management that the complex now belongs to the Russian state nuclear power plant Rosatom. Ukrainian employees of the plant continued to work under Russian control;
- July: Reports that Russian forces have turned this place into a military base by operating rocket launchers from the complex;
- August 3rd: The International Atomic Energy Agency said the situation at the facility was “totally out of control” and needed an inspection and repair;
- August 5th: Ukrainian nuclear agency Enerhoatom said operators at the facility had disconnected a reactor from the electricity grid after two Russian rockets were launched from the complex;
- August 8: Ukraine said further Russian attacks damaged three radiation sensors and injured a worker. Local Russian officials said it was Ukraine that attacked the area with missiles;
- August 10: The foreign ministers of the G7 countries said Russia should immediately return control of the plant to the Ukrainians;
- August 11: News of more explosions came at the scene, with Ukraine and Russia blaming each other for the damage.
According to the Enerhoatom agency, the situation is currently under control.
But Russian authorities made a similar statement accusing Ukraine of the bombing.
They said Ukrainian forces used multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) and heavy artillery.
It was not possible to independently verify the claims of both parties.
Image: Reuters
necessary agreement
For UN Secretary-General António Guterres, it is urgent that an agreement be reached on the demilitarization of a safe perimeter around the plant to ensure safety.
Guterres’ remarks came ahead of an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the subject in New York, USA.
In Kiev, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, “Russia could cause the world’s worst nuclear accident… Bigger than Chernobyl.”
The disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, built by the Soviets north of Kiev, is considered the world’s worst nuclear accident to date.
Zelensky said that the most extreme scenario at the power plant would be equivalent to Russia using nuclear weapons.
The Zaporizhzhia resort is located on the left bank of the Dnipro River in the city of Enerhodar in southeastern Ukraine.
The facility consists of six pressurized water reactors and stores radioactive waste.
So far, UN nuclear surveillance officials have been unable to inspect the facility.
– This text was published at https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-62513895.
source: Noticias
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