The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, is calling for a safe zone around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine to prevent a nuclear disaster, saying in a report on Tuesday that she remained “gravely concerned” about the situation following her mission to the site last week.
Here are the latest developments:
Putin and Xi will meet: Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet on the sidelines of a summit in Uzbekistan next week, in what will be the first face-to-face between the two leaders since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier. This year. It would also be Xi’s first overseas trip since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, China’s number three is expected to meet Putin on the sidelines of an economic forum in Vladivostok on Wednesday.
IAEA report says safety principles violated at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, calls for safe zone: The agency stressed the urgent need for interim measures “to prevent a nuclear accident resulting from physical damage caused by military means”. To achieve this, the IAEA has called for the creation of a “nuclear security safety and protection zone”. The report adds, “The IAEA stands ready to immediately begin consultations leading to the urgent establishment of such a nuclear safety and security protection zone at the (power plant).” The agency says its team saw first-hand the damage caused by the bombardment to the facility and “noted with concern that the bombardment could have impacted security-related structures, systems and components, and could have caused significant safety impacts, loss of life and injury to personnel.”
UN nuclear watchdog saw military vehicles and equipment inside Zaporizhzhia plant, report says: The International Atomic Energy Agency saw Russian military equipment and personnel inside the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant during its tour of the facility, Director General Rafael Grossi said in a report released on Tuesday . “The team observed the presence of Russian military personnel, vehicles and equipment at various locations in the ZNPP, including several military trucks on the ground floor of the turbine halls of Unit 1 and Unit 2 and military vehicles parked under the viaduct connecting the reactor units,” according to the report. The IAEA said the presence of military personnel and equipment creates “very difficult circumstances” for personnel trying to maintain normal operations at the plant.
IAEA warns of potential interference after team sees Russian nuclear agency unit at Zaporizhzhia plant: The IAEA said the team it sent to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine saw a Russian nuclear agency unit at the facility. IAEA inspectors “observe[d] the presence of a group of experts from Rosenergoatom”, which is a unit of the Russian nuclear agency Rosatom, according to a report published on Tuesday. “It was explained to the team by the staff and managers of the Ukrainian plant that the role of this group of experts was to provide advice on safety, security and nuclear operations to the management of the (plant electricity),” the IAEA said. But “the presence of technical executives from Rosatom could lead to interference with normal lines of operational command or authority and create potential friction during decision-making,” according to the United Nations nuclear watchdog.
Zelensky called for the demilitarization of the nuclear power plant: The Ukrainian President said in his late night address on Tuesday: “The [IAEA] mission, which had visited the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, presented a documentary summary of its work.”
“The report notes the presence of Russian military equipment on the territory of the nuclear power plant, emphasizes the pressure exerted on our nuclear workers and clearly refers to the Russian military occupation. It’s good,” he said. Zelensky added: “With regard to the proposal of the Director General of the IAEA, Grossi, to create a protection zone at the plant, we must consider the specific meaning of such a tool: what is who can be considered protection? If the meaning of this proposal is to demilitarize the territory of the nuclear power plant – and this is logical, because it was the Russian military presence that put the Zaporizhzhia power plant on the brink of a radioactive disaster – then we can support a such demilitarized protection zone.”
