Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirmed that agency investigators will remain “in Ukraine until Sunday (4) or Monday (5)” to continue assessing the state of the plant. The power station in Zaporijia. The power plant has been in the hands of the Russian army since March and has been bombed.
Grossi and a team of 14 inspectors visited the factory this Thursday (1st). He said the “physical integrity” of the nuclear power plant had been “violated” after the initial inspection of the unit, which was occupied by Russian troops on February 24, a few days after the invasion of the country.
The bombings, which have intensified in the region in recent weeks, worry the international community, which fears a nuclear disaster. Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the attacks.
Thursday’s inspection came after repeated bombings in the area. “(…) it is clear that the physical integrity of the plant has been violated several times,” Grossi said on his return to the Ukrainian-controlled area after inspecting the nuclear power plant during the day. “We need assessment elements,” but “this can’t happen again,” he added. “We have a lot of work to analyze certain technical aspects,” he said.
difficult situation
The IAEA said it wanted to “establish a continuing presence” in the field, without providing further details. “We were able to tour the whole site. I was in the reactor units, I saw the emergency system, the control rooms and other areas,” he added. Grossi praised the employees who continue to work at the factory. “They’re definitely in a difficult situation, but they have an incredible level of professionalism,” he said.
He also described the “pretty difficult situation” faced by his team, who heard gunshots on their way to the facility and crossing the front line between Ukrainian and Russian troops. “There were times when it was fired two or three times from heavy machine guns, cannons, mortars. We were very worried,” Grossi said.
Investigators entered the area from areas controlled by Ukraine. This was a condition of Kiev, for fear that the visit would legitimize the Russian occupation. Experts arrived in the area despite new bombings that occurred in the morning, which forced the Ukrainian operator to shut down the power grid of one of the six reactors. “This is the second time in the past 10 days that criminal actions of the Russian army have led to the shutdown of the unit,” Ukrainian operator Energoatom said. Said.
“Destructive effects”
“The time has come to stop playing with fire and take concrete measures to protect this facility and others like it from any military operation,” said Robert Mardini, director general of the International Committee of the Red Cross, in Kiev. “We will mourn for decades.”
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said that dozens of Ukrainian army personnel crossed the Dnieper River in boats that separated their positions three kilometers from the center, “taking measures to destroy the enemy.” None of this deterred the investigative team.
The Ukrainian Army General Staff reported that Russian “major bombings” occurred at night around Kharkiv (northeast), the country’s second largest city, as well as Zaporijia and Kramatorsk in the south, Bakhmut and Sloviansk (east). The military bulletin does not mention the counteroffensive that Ukrainian troops launched this week in the south of the country, particularly in the Kherson region, one of the few major cities Russia has managed to conquer in more than six months of offensive.
Zelensky’s call for disarmament
NGO Human Rights Watch denounced that Russian forces have forcibly transferred civilians to areas under their control since the beginning of the occupation.
On Tuesday, 30, in front of IAEA investigators, Zelensky asked the international community to reach an agreement for the “immediate disarmament” of the nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe occupied by Russian troops.
According to Zelensky, the deal should include the “withdrawal of all Russian military personnel with all explosives and all weapons” and Ukraine’s complete retake of control of the facility. This Thursday, Zelensky once again insisted on this need for demilitarization and the resumption of control of the center by the Ukrainians.
(with information from AFP)
source: Noticias
