The safety of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant is deteriorating, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and that could lead to a nuclear disaster.
Zaporizhzhia, southeastern Ukraine, has been under Russian control since shortly after the nation launched a full-scale invasion on its neighbor in February 2022. On Saturday, a drone attack hit an access road to the perimeter used by personnel near the plant.
The director general of the IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, has confirmed to the Russian state news agency TASS that The experts on site were informed of the detonation and immediately visited the area.
Shortly after the attack, Russia accused Ukraine to throw the explosive charge near the plant. Zaporizhzhia has been the target of repeated attacks since the start of the conflict, for which both sides accuse each other.
Concern over fatal outcome in Zaporizhzhia
While the plant is idle, Russia and Ukraine have engaged in a war of words over its very existence, alleging that their enemy is trying to sabotage its operation and endanger security around it.
In a statement, Grossi said: “Once again we are witnessing a escalation of nuclear safety hazards that the… central is facing”.
Apparently, the impact site was very close to the essential cooling water spray ponds and only 100 meters from the Dniprovska power line. It is the only 750 kilovolt line that still supplies power to the plant, according to the IAEA.
The IAEA team that visited the area on Saturday said the damage appeared to have been caused by a drone equipped with an explosive charge.
Although the report confirms that There were no casualties and no appreciable damage to the nuclear power plant equipment.there was obvious damage to the road that connects the two main gates of Zaporizhzhia.
The worrying security situation at the plant occurs while Ukraine continues its incursion into Russia. Authorities claim to have taken control of some 82 settlements in an area of 1,150 square kilometers in the Kursk region from August 6.
The Russian news agency RIA now reports that Moscow is ready to discussthe apparent attackto the Zaporizhia power plant with the IAEAquoting Roman Ustinov, acting Russian representative in Vienna.
