The UN nuclear watchdog’s inspection team is on its way to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as renewed shelling in the area highlighted fears of a catastrophe.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi will lead the support and assistance mission to Zaporizhzhya to assess the damage, check the performance of safety and security systems, and “perform urgent safeguards activities,” according to an IAEA statement.
The team is expected to arrive at the plant later this week, Grossi tweeted.
“We must protect the safety and security of Ukraine’s and Europe’s biggest nuclear facility,” the IAEA director general said.
“Almost every day there is a new incident at or near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. We can’t afford to lose any more time.”
Grossi has for months sought access to Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant which has been occupied by Russian forces and run by Ukrainian workers since the early days of the six-month-old war.
Real concern
Shelling around the power plant is not the main concern, as it has thick protection walls, rather it’s the cutting of power supply to the nuclear reactors and loss of back-up generators that could prove dangerous, believe the nuclear experts. Cutting of electric supply to reactors would mean no power for the pumps cooling the hot reactor core, which could ultimately lead to the fuel starting to melt.
Who is responsible?
Russia and Ukraine have blamed one another for the latest shelling in the area.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Europe was “one step away” from a radiation disaster on Thursday after shelling in the area briefly disconnected the plant from Ukraine’s power grid and backup generators kicked in to supply it with power. This was the first time in its history that the nuclear power plant experienced a power outage, according to Zelensky.
IAEA visit could legitimize Russian occupation
Russian forces took over the nuclear power plant in early March, but it is still being run by the Ukrainian workforce. The Kremlin had previously signaled that it would only allow international inspectors to visit the power plant. Thus the IAEA mission to Zaporizhzhia will mark an important moment, verifying the on-ground developments.
Ukraine had feared an IAEA mission to Zaporizhzhia would legitimise the Russian occupation of the nuclear plant, before finally backing a visit.