Aug. 18, 2024, 9:31 p.m.
(Photo: nikopolnews.net)
After a drone strike near Zaporizhzhia NPP on August 17, the nuclear safety situation in the occupied territory of Ukraine has deteriorated.
This became known from a statement by Rafael Mariano G rossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), published on the organization's website.
Grossi noted that he again sees an escalation of threats to nuclear safety and security of Zaporizhzhia NPP.
"I remain extremely concerned and reiterate my call for maximum restraint on all sides and for strict adherence to the five specific principles established to protect the plant," he said.
According to the IAEA, the drone allegedly exploded near the cooling ponds and about 100 meters from the Dnipro power line , the only 750 kilovolt (kV) line that supplies power to the plant.
The strike occurred on the road between the two main gates of the plant. When IAEA experts visited the site, they observed damage likely caused by a drone equipped with explosives. There were no casualties and no damage to NPP equipment.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, has been seized by the Russian military since March 4, 2022. The occupation army of the Russian Federation is deploying military equipment and ammunition at the plant site.
The IAEA also reported that during August 12-18, military activities in the vicinity of the ZNPP were intense. Representatives of the organization heard frequent explosions, bursts of large-caliber machine guns and rifles, as well as artillery at different distances from the nuclear power plant.
On July 11, 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on the safety of nuclear facilities in Ukraine, including the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP. The document was supported by 99 countries. The text of the resolution demands that Russia "urgently withdraw" its military and other personnel from the territory of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and "immediately return" it to full control of Ukraine to ensure its safety.
The resolution also calls on Russia to provide the IAEA mission with timely and full access to all areas at ZNPP so that the Agency can prepare a report on the nuclear safety and security situation at the facility.
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