The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) described the situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant as “extremely worrying“due to the fighting that has been going on since Russia invaded Ukraine.
“The situation in the area near the Zaporizhia NPP is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous, I am extremely concerned about the risks facing the plant. We must act now to prevent the threat of a serious nuclear accident“, remarked the general director of the organization, Rafael Grossi.
The Zaporizhia region is one of the areas where Ukraine could launch an offensive against the Russian occupation forces in the coming days and weeks. The plant is located on the banks of the river dnieper, one of the main river barriers of the war. It has six reactors and a total capacity of 5,700 Mwe.
Managing Director @rafaelmgrossi said evacuation of residents at Enerhodar, where most of staff from #Ukraine‘s #Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant live, you have started. @iaeaorg is closely monitoring for any potential impact on nuclear safety and security.https://t.co/RvzRP8WL46 pic.twitter.com/BWuUbbcWxY
— IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) May 6, 2023
Last September, the UN sent a mission to the plant to verify the integrity of the facilities. In just hours, the displaced experts were able to conclude that, on several occasions, “the physical integrity of the plant had been pushed to the limit“.
The employees of the plant, details energoatom -state company for the generation of nuclear energy in Ukraine-, suffered pressure from the Russian military present at the plant so that they did not provide all the details about the operation of the plant to the independent experts of the UN.
[Kadyrov promete al Kremlin enviar tropas chechenas a Bakhmut si Prigozhin retira a Wagner]
Since the start of the Russian invasion, the plant’s staff has been gradually decreasing, although the plant’s management assures that it is still sufficient for its safe operation, reports efe.
The central has already suffered several disconnections from the Ukrainian network since the invasion began due to the bombardments that take place in the area. The last one, on March 9. The specter of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, the worst in history, is still very present in Ukraine.
The plant’s number 4 reactor exploded during a safety test that revealed the poor quality of the Soviet nuclear industry. Some international analysts consider that the Chernobyl accident was the trigger for the fall of the USSR.
