Tension over a possible self-attack at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant

July 05, 2023

An environmental catastrophe looms over a possible planned attack on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, who is to blame, Ukraine or Russia?

ivan-rodriguez-gelfenstein-tension-over-possible-self-attack-at-the-zaporizhia-nuclear-power-plant

Ukraine and Russia accused each other on Wednesday of attacking one of the world's largest nuclear power plants, located in southeastern Ukraine and occupied by Russian soldiers. However, neither side has provided evidence to support their claims.

Russia occupied the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant at the beginning of the war. During In the past year, Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of bombing the facilities. The United Nations nuclear agency has expressed its concern about the possibility of a Chernobyl-like radioactive disaster in 1986.

Citing intelligence reports, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky, He said Russian troops had placed "items that looked like explosives. on the roofs of several power units" at the facility. The objects They could be used to "simulate" an attack, he added, noting that it could be a False attack.

A statement from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine revealed that "foreign objects" had been placed on the exterior roof of the Third and fourth generator sets of the plant.

"Its detonation should not damage the energy units, but it could create a image of bombing of Ukraine," the statement said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has staff in the facility, which, although under Russian control, is staffed Ukrainian. IAEA Director Rafael Mariano Grossi said the latest Agency inspection revealed no mining activity, but "we continue extremely attentive."

In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov raised the specter of a Potentially "catastrophic" provocation by the Ukrainian army in the nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe but with all six closed reactors.

"The situation is quite tense. There is a great threat of sabotage by of the Kiev regime, which could have catastrophic consequences," he said. Peskov in response to a journalist's question. He also said that the Kremlin was taking "all measures" to counter the alleged threat from Ukraine.

Ukraine has warned for months against Russian plans to trigger a Deliberate release of radiation from the facility, citing reports from Internal intelligence. Ukrainian officials have said Moscow could attempt to sabotage the plant to disrupt the ongoing counteroffensive of Kiev in the neighboring region of Zaporizhia.

IAEA experts requested additional access to the site to confirm the absence of mines or explosives, Grossi said. In particular, "it is fundamental access to the covers of reactor units 3 and 4, as well as the Access to certain parts of engine rooms and certain parts of the system of plant cooling," he said. Declared.

In an interview, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that it had pressed IAEA to send more inspectors.

"We said to ourselves, 'Look, your team is made up of four people and this factory. it's like (a) city' (...). Enormous. It's very big. Four people did not They will find mines," he said.

Tags

Post a Comment

0 Comments