Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in an interview with CBS that Russian President Vladimir Putin is well aware of what is happening at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.
“He knows every detail that impresses me,” Grossi said. – He has a very good knowledge of not only the structure of the station, but also very important access to electricity, external energy sources. It’s an object he knows very well.”
Grossi added that he wants to meet with the president of the Russian Federation “as soon as possible”.
The head of the IAEA said that during the visit, inspectors were able to check everything necessary regarding the operation of the station. However, he acknowledged that experts were not allowed to enter some rooms at the nuclear power plant, especially the control center.
There were also areas where we were limited,” he said. “But we were able to see everything we needed to see.”
Earlier, the director-general of the IAEA described contacts with Putin as crucial to ensuring the safety of nuclear facilities.
security zone
Grossi again requested the creation of a security zone around the station. “Until we protect the station, there is the possibility of a nuclear disaster,” he stressed.
The general director of the agency added that the bombardment of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant continues. “This is why I insist on creating a protection zone. He explained that it basically meant “attack the station”.
According to the IAEA chief, the situation at the station area is “unprecedented in many respects. <...> is unstable and requires immediate action.
The day before, Grossi made statements about the explosions at the station. He described this as “totally unacceptable” and called for an end to the attacks on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.
“Whoever is behind this must stop immediately. As I’ve said over and over, you’re playing with fire!” – said the head of the IAEA.
According to agency experts at the station, several buildings, systems and equipment were destroyed at the Zaporozhye NPP, but these destructions are not critical to nuclear safety. Investigators said they observed the individual explosions directly from their windows.
Following the incident, Grossi appealed again, urging the authorities of Russia and Ukraine “as soon as possible” to agree and implement a nuclear safety zone around the nuclear power plant.
“I won’t give up until this realm is real. As the continued blatant bombardment showed, [сейчас] The IAEA director general said this is needed more than ever.
After reports of attacks on the ZNPP, he also called French President Emmanuel Macron. The administration of the French leader said that he “could have a telephone conversation with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky until the end of the day”.
The resumption of the bombardment
The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant has been attacked many times since the start of the military operation in Ukraine. After the last bombardment, which Russia blamed on Kiev, Grossi promised to return to Moscow and succeed in establishing a security zone around the station.
“These are direct attacks on the police station, nothing like this since this summer. “This shows that the situation is clearly deteriorating and there are those who believe the nuclear power plant is a legitimate military target,” he said.
Grossi said experts plan to inspect the station on November 21, if the situation permits.
“We are currently assessing damage. The station was affected, but the reactors were not damaged,” he said. According to the IAEA Director-General, the strikes affected areas where new and spent fuel was stored.
On November 19, Rosenergoatom reported that the Ukrainian army bombed the vicinity of the nuclear power plant. Renat Karchaa, adviser to the general director of the concern, announced that they had “arrived” at the spray pond – the cooling system, as well as at the dry landfill of nuclear waste. On November 20, the strikes continued, about 15 “arrivals” were recorded, including in the special building No. 2, where fresh nuclear fuel was stored.
“From 9:15 to 9:45, 12 large-caliber artillery shells were fired… From 10:00 to 10:10, two more shells were fired along the power line feeding the power plant,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Zaporizhzhia NPP is the largest currently operating in Europe. Russia took control on February 28. In early September, NPP was visited by IAEA experts headed by Grossi. After the visit, some employees of the organization stayed there as observers. On October 5, Putin instructed to take the plant facilities into federal ownership and establish the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Zaporozhye NPP.
On 17 November, the IAEA Board of Directors passed a resolution urging Russia to abandon its “baseless claims” on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and to withdraw control of the plant to Ukraine by withdrawing its military and civilian personnel. Russia’s permanent mission to international organizations in Vienna described the document as “another step towards politicizing the work of the IAEA”.
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.