Global Courant 2023-05-07 15:47:41
The head of the UN nuclear energy watchdog warned on Saturday that the situation around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has become “potentially dangerous” as Moscow-installed officials began evacuating people from nearby areas.
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), called for measures to ensure the safe operation of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant as evacuations were underway in the nearby town of Enerhodar.
“The overall situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous,” Grossi said on the agency’s website.
“I am deeply concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant. We must act now to prevent the threat of a serious nuclear accident and the associated consequences for the population and the environment.”
Battle for territory expected
Grossi said that while the plant’s operating staff remain at the site, conditions for the workers and their families are becoming “increasingly tense”.
The Russian-installed governor of the Moscow-controlled part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region said on Friday he had ordered the evacuation of villages close to the frontline as shelling in the area had intensified in recent days.
A widely expected spring Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russian forces is likely to capture the Zaporizhzhia region, about 80 percent of which is held by Moscow.
Workers work at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant during a visit by members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in September 2022. (IAEA/Reuters)
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Sunday residents are being evacuated towards Berdiansk and Prymorsk on the coast of the Sea of Azov.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports.
Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia factory days after President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. There have been frequent gunfights near the factory, with both sides blaming each other.
Grossi last visited Zaporizhzhia station, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, in March as part of an effort to talk with both sides to reach an agreement on safety measures to ensure the plant’s safe operation.
He has repeatedly warned of the dangers of military operations around the plant.
The factory is located in the part of that region under Russian control and many of the staff who work there live in Enerhodar on the south bank of the Dnipro River.
