From BZ/dpa
After the Russian-occupied Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhia was shelled, the risk of fire and radiation has increased.
“The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant works with the risk of violating the norms for radiation and fire protection,” announced the Ukrainian state nuclear agency Enerhoatom on its Telegram channel on Saturday. Both warring parties blame each other for the attack on the facility.
A nitrogen system and an auxiliary body of the power plant were damaged by the shelling the day before. “There remains the risk of hydrogen escaping and radioactive particles spreading, and the risk of fire is also high,” Enerhoatom reported. The Ukrainian power plant personnel are trying to ensure the nuclear safety of the plant even under these conditions. However, the threat of occupation of the power plant by Russian troops remains high.
accusations from both sides
On Friday, the plant in the city of Enerhodar in the Zaporizhia region caught fire due to shelling, but it was extinguished. A block of the nuclear power plant had to be shut down. The power supply in the city was partially lost. While Moscow blamed Ukrainian troops, Kyiv said the Russians had shelled the area themselves. The information cannot be verified independently.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin-critical Internet medium “The Insider” reported on a possible mining of the power plant. A video that is said to have been shot earlier this week shows Russian military trucks driving onto the factory site and unloading goods there. One of the trucks drives into the machine room of the plant. According to The Insider, either the power plant itself or the area around it was mined.
For weeks there has been criticism that the Russian troops are using the nuclear power plant as a protective shield for their own artillery, which is shelling Ukrainian-controlled areas from there. “The EU condemns Russia’s military activities around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. This is a serious and irresponsible breach of nuclear safety rules and another example of Russia’s failure to respect international norms,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. He demanded access for the International Atomic Energy Agency to the facility.