April 9 () –
The spokesperson for the United States Department of State, Matthew Miller, has assured that Russia is “playing a very dangerous game” at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe and occupied by the Russian Army as part of the invasion. of Ukraine, after Moscow has denounced a Ukrainian drone attack near the facility, something denied by kyiv.
“We are aware of reports about the drone attack on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. (…) Russia is playing a very dangerous game with its military takeover of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant, which is the largest in Europe,” he declared during a press conference.
Likewise, Miller has assured that Washington is monitoring the situation both through its mechanisms and through official reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which “fortunately indicates that the damage caused by the attack has not endangered security.” nuclear”.
Finally, he has once again asked Russia to withdraw its military and civilian personnel from the plant, which must be returned “totally” to the Ukrainian authorities, and has urged the Kremlin to refrain from “carrying out any action that could provoke a nuclear incident at the Zaporoyia power plant.
The Russian authorities reported that several impacts occurred within the plant premises, under Russian control since March 2022. The first hit with an explosive charge near a canteen at the plant, while the second drone hit the loading dock and A third hit the dome of the plant's sixth reactor. As a result of the impacts, three workers were injured.
The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, declared that the “reckless” attacks “significantly increase the risk of a serious nuclear accident and must stop immediately.” “For the first time since November 2022, after establishing the basic principles to avoid a serious nuclear accident with radiological consequences, we confirmed three direct impacts (…) This cannot happen,” he said.
Grossi noted that, on this occasion, “although the damage” did not “compromise nuclear safety, it was a serious incident that had the potential to undermine the integrity of the reactor containment system.” In this way, he recalled that these attacks are a “clear reminder” of the “persistent threats” to this type of facilities during an armed conflict.
