Since Saturday evening, more than a dozen large explosions have been detected near a massive nuclear power facility controlled by Russia in southern Ukraine.
Rafael Grossi, the chief of the United Nations’ nuclear inspector, issued an urgent call for an end to the violence at Europe’s largest nuclear plant in Zaporizhia.
“Whoever is responsible for this must cease immediately,” he stated. You are gambling with fire!
The facility is located on the Dnipro River, the front line of the fighting.
The Russian military said that Ukrainian soldiers on the opposite side of the river had shelled the territory under its control. There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainians, who had earlier claimed that Russian forces were shelling the region themselves despite the presence of Ukrainian troops.
The area surrounding the plant, including the nearby Russian-occupied town of Enerhodar, had been under constant siege for months, but there had been a period of calm before this weekend’s blasts, which continued through Sunday morning.
Observers from Mr. Grossi’s organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), observed certain explosions from their windows.
Citing information provided by officials at the plant under Russian administration, the IAEA team reported minor damage to buildings, systems, and equipment at the site, but nothing “critical for nuclear safety and security” to date. There were no casualties reported.
“The news from our staff yesterday and this morning are distressing,” said Mr. Grossi. This huge nuclear power plant has experienced explosions, which is utterly unacceptable.
Again, he urged the opposing parties to reach an agreement and swiftly create a nuclear safety and security zone around the plant.
He stated, “I will not give up until this zone becomes a reality.” As evidenced by the continued shelling, it is more important than ever.
An official from the Russian nuclear power operator Rosenergoatom was quoted by Russian state media as saying that 15 shells had been fired at the plant’s facilities, landing near a dry nuclear waste storage facility and a building that houses fresh spent nuclear fuel, but there had been no radioactive emissions.
The facility was taken by the Russian military a few weeks following Moscow’s 24 February invasion of Ukraine.
In September, Russia annexed Zaporizhzhia and another Ukrainian land. However, Russia has been pushed back on the battlefield in the south, particularly in the Kherson region, and the two troops face each other across the Dnieper River (known as the Dnepr in Russia).
