IAEA warns of 'catastrophic repercussions' amid fresh shelling around Zaporizhzhia NPP

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned of "catastrophic repercussions" amid fresh shelling around Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine. The United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog also urged officials to immediately visit the plant to take stock of the security situation in the region. "This is a serious hour, a grave hour and the IAEA must be allowed to conduct its mission to Zaporizhzhia as soon as possible,” stated Rafael Grossi, the agency's Director General, at a UN Security Council meeting, The Guardian reported.

Located in southern Ukraine, the ZNPP is the largest nuclear plant in Europe and has been occupied by Russia since March this year. The IAEA Director General appealed to Russia and Ukraine, who are holding each other responsible for the attacks at the facility, to permit nuclear experts to examine the damage and evaluate security and safety at the vast nuclear complex. The Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant is under Russian control but, is currently run by Ukrainians as the conflict between the two countries continues to escalate for more than five months now. 

IAEA has been concerned regarding plant safety

According to Grossi, assertions from Russia and Ukraine are often contradicted, and the IAEA's experts can't verify significant facts unless they visit the plant. He further stated that an electrical power transformer and two backup transformers had to be shut down due to shelling and many explosions that occurred recently in the region. The situation at the plant has been a source of concern for the UN nuclear watchdog since Russia launched a full-fledged war in Ukraine on February 24.

Russia ready to facilitate IAEA officials' visit to ZNPP

Meanwhile, Energoatom, a state-owned enterprise in Ukraine that runs the plant, reported that the region was hit five times on August 12, including close to the location where radioactive materials are kept. Earlier on August 8, Russia showed its willingness to assist the leadership of the IAEA in organising a visit to the Zaporizhzhia power plant. Mikhail Ulyanov, the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to international organizations in Vienna, stated that Moscow is ready to organise the visit but the agency also needs to take into consideration the "criminal actions" of Kyiv carried out around the plant. 

Image: AP