At Ukraine’s Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, there have again been several powerful explosions. That says the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Experts from the UN nuclear watchdog on the ground report dozens of impacts near and on the site of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. The events of yesterday and today have ended a period of relative calm at the Russian-occupied plant, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said.
Nuclear safety not compromised
Damage is reported to some buildings and systems, but the damage does not threaten nuclear safety for the time being, it says. There are no injuries.
The Russian defense ministry has accused Ukrainian troops of bombarding the nuclear power plant with massive artillery fire since yesterday. According to spokesman Igor Konashenkov, the radiation level in the vicinity of the nuclear power plant remains “in accordance with the standards”.
The Ukrainian nuclear agency Energoatom, on the other hand, points the finger of blame in the direction of Moscow. The Russians are being accused of “yet another nuclear blackmail and endangering the whole world.”
One more call for safety zone
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi called on “whoever is behind the shelling” to “stop it immediately”. Intensive negotiations on this have not yet led to an agreement.
Russia has de facto controlled Europe’s largest nuclear power plant since early March, after Russian forces seized control of large parts of southern Ukraine after they began their raid on February 24. The Zaporizhia power station has since come under regular fire. Ukraine and Russia blame each other for the shelling and bombing.
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