UN investigators demand a security zone around Zaporizhia factory

“For the first time, a military conflict is taking place in the middle of the facilities of a major nuclear program. nuclear accident can have serious consequences inside and outside the country,” says the document submitted by the UN affiliate. Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. At the beginning of March, just days after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was occupied by Kremlin troops, but allowed the Ukrainian technicians of the power plant to continue to command it. This physical occupation of the facility was confirmed by UN investigators during their visit to the facility last week. According to the report, they encountered Russian soldiers and armored vehicles inside their facility.

Shocks have become the norm since Russia occupied Zaporizhia and areas south of the centre. The same Monday, a mortar attack One attributed by Kyiv to the Russian forces fire and forced it to shut down a nearby thermal station to put out the fire. The artillery blow does not damage the transmission lines, only one of six still operating reactors It continues to receive the electricity it needs to operate safely in Zaporizhia, according to the IAEA.

Constant threat to security

“Although continued attacks have not yet led to a nuclear emergency, persistent threat to atomic security This could affect the facility’s core safety functions and trigger far-reaching radiological results,” the investigators report. security zone this allows war to be removed from the perimeter of the facility. Currently, the reaction of the parties, which continued to fight without a ceasefire six months after the start of the war, is unknown. Just a few days ago, Kyiv announced the start of a counteroffensive in the south, where Russia has been aiming to retake the areas occupied by Russia since the beginning of the invasion.

Fear of a nuclear accident revived the country. Concern of Ukrainian towns near the plantsmall towns and cities such as energizeAs a result of the explosion that occurred at the power plant on Monday, it was left without water and electricity. Mayor Dymitro Orlov made a desperate appeal to the Kremlin to allow the evacuation of the people. humanitarian corridors. “People flock to us for help. They’re trying to get out of this dangerous zone.” Both Kyiv and its Western allies believe that by occupying the plant, Russia intends to eventually separate the plant from the Ukrainian electricity system in order to conserve the electricity it produces.

After several weeks of intense negotiations, UN investigators were able to visit the Zaporizhia facility last Friday to gather information on its situation and the security risks it faces. a open grave mission, grappling with immeasurable events and punctuated by frequent eruptions in the region. The delegation left its two inspectors at the facility to settle permanently at the facility, one of the goals set by IAEA director Rafael Grossi, who led the mission. Both Moscow and Kyiv Permanent presence of inspectors in Zaporizhiaan asset that could at least serve as a deterrent to reduce armed activity around it.