The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspected it this Thursday. nuclear power station Ukrainian from ZaporizhiaRafael Grossi, then head of the expert mission, controlled by Russian troops, decided to establish a “permanent” presence at the facility and leave some of his crew there until at least Saturday.
According to the official Russian news agency RIA Novosti, the experts who oversaw the facilities were accompanied by representatives of Russia’s state atomic energy company Rosatom and employees of the facility.
Grossi, director general of the IAEA, left the building about two hours later, during which time he and 13 other experts “I was able to gather a lot of information” in the first round of key areas.
Some IAEA experts left
The Argentinean announced that he was leaving, but that some “IAEA experts will remain at the facility”.
“We conclude our long-awaited visit to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant (…). Of course, there is still much to be done. my team stays. And more importantly, we are establishing a continuing IAEA presence here.”
Grossi did not specify how many experts will be left at the facility and for how long, nor did he clarify whether what Ukrainian president Volodímir Zelenski has requested relates to the IAEA’s permanent presence at the Zaporizhia facility. He said he brought it up with his arrival as “necessary to stabilize the situation and to obtain reliable and unbiased data on a regular basis”.
As noted in the Telegram account of the Ukrainian state-owned atomic power generation company Energoatom, “Five IAEA representatives left”“TO “These are expected to be at the nuclear power plant by September 3”.
The head of the pro-Russian administration of the city of Energodar, Alexandr Volga, told Russian agency Interfax that the remaining experts will be accommodated at a local hotel.
The rest of the delegation, including Grossi, were to leave the Russian-controlled area before 8 pm Moscow time, something they had already done, he added.
During the visit, according to Russian agencies, some residents of Energodar, under Russian control, visited Grossi, call to stop provocations Ukraine against nuclear power plant and part of a suspected Ukrainian missile.
a high risk road
The delegation arrived shortly before 14:30 local time to the nuclear power plant, which has been the target of constant attacks in recent weeks that have put nuclear security at risk and that Russia and Ukraine blame each other.
One of the two reactors that remain operational today has been disabled by emergency mechanisms. “Due to another mortar attack by Russian invaders”Energoatom said that the backup power supply line used for internal needs was damaged.
“This is the second time in the past 10 days that criminal actions by the Russian military have resulted in the shutdown of the unit and the blackout of the facility,” he said.
Having arrived in Zaporozhye the day before, the mission’s journey to the factory, located about 120 kilometers from Energodar, Ukraine, was “not easy”, according to Grossi, because it was “high risk” due to the escalation of fighting in the region. area.
The Argentine, however, thought that there were “minimum conditions for moving” and that “after coming so far” the team would “not stop”.
overcoming the charges
From the first hour, both Kyiv and Moscow passed charges of attacking the facility, Energodar, and the route the mission convoy would pass through to thwart control.
“Russia is demonstratively bombing Energodar along the official route of the IAEA mission to blame Ukraine. Russia’s ‘real’ interest in inspection“, tweeted to the Office of President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podolyak.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also accused Ukraine of attacking the IAEA meeting point with the Russian side in Vasilievka, near Energodar, bombing the plant and the yurt town that houses it, and trying to “take” the Zaporizhia factory. Two sabotage groups of up to 60 people.
In the middle of the conflict, the IAEA convoy was stopped for three hours at the Novooleksandrivka checkpoint, about 20 kilometers from the front line, waiting for the situation to return to safety before the journey could resume.
The delay occurred in the territory controlled by Ukraine.According to the organization’s spokesman, Fredrik Dahl, he suggested that Grossi should negotiate personally with the Ukrainian military authorities to proceed.
According to the pro-Russian leader of the Zaporizhia region, Yevgueni Balitski, the Ukrainians would demand from the IAEA “security guarantees for the team and documents on who took charge of them”.