UK says Russia undermining safety and security of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

UK's defence ministry on Thursday, August 4, claimed that the invading Russian forces jeopardized the safety and security of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The invading Russian soldiers, after having captured the plant, also earlier caused a fire near one of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant's six reactors, hampering the plant's normal operations.

But the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, had confirmed that thus far there has been no release of radioactive material from the plant, adding that the situation around the Zaporizhzhia has been turning more dangerous every day. He also demanded that Russia allows the entry of the specialist staff into the plant for inspection in order to prevent a nuclear disaster. 

Russian forces using using artillery units around nclear plant 

UK in its intelligence update said that Russian forces have been using artillery units which are based in these areas to target Ukrainian territory on the western bank of the Dnipro river. The exchange of fire poses great risk to the safety of the nuclear plant. 

"Russian forces have probably used the wider facility area, in particular the adjacent city of Enerhodar, to rest their forces, utilising the protected status of the nuclear power plant to reduce the risk to their equipment and personnel from overnight Ukrainian attacks," Britain said in an intelligence update on Twitter.

In an interview with the Associated Press, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi had warned that there is a catalogue of things that "should never be happening in any nuclear facility." "The latest reports are very disturbing and further heighten my concern for the welfare of the staff," he iterated. State nuclear company Energoatom, also expressed concerns saying that none of Putin’s forces wore protective clothes as they marched through the plant, and they also violated several nuclear safety rules. The head of Zaporizhzhia’s pro-Russian military-civilian administration Yevgeny Balitsky had declared that he will hold a referendum for the region's accession to Russia in early autumn this year.

UN's atomic watchdog however stated that the plant is "completely out of control" five months after Russian forces occupied the territory, but added that it is still operational. The plant has six pressurised water reactors that store hazardous radioactive waste.