The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Monday morning that he was on his way to the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia, the target in recent weeks of strikes raising fears of the risk of a major accident.
“ The day has come, the IAEA mission to Zaporizhia is now on its way. We must protect the security of Ukraine and the largest power plant in Europe “, wrote Rafael Grossi on Twitter, specifying that the mission would arrive on the spot “ later this week “. In a photo accompanying his message, the head of the IAEA poses with a team of ten people, wearing caps and vests with the logo of the UN body.
Rafael Grossi had been asking for several months to be able to go to the scene, warning of the “ real risk of nuclear disaster “. The Zaporizhia plant, where six of Ukraine’s 15 reactors are located, was taken by Russian troops in early March, shortly after the invasion began on February 24, and is near the frontline in the south.
Mutual accusations
kyiv and Moscow accuse each other of carrying out bombings near the complex, near the town of Energodar, on the Dnieper River, and thus putting the site in danger. The Ukrainian operator Energoatom warned on Saturday against risks of radioactive leaks and fire after new strikes. In recent weeks, Zaporijjia crystallizes the concerns of Westerners. The UN has called for an end to all military activity in the surrounding area.
Initially, Ukraine feared that such a visit would legitimize the Russian occupation of the site in the eyes of the international community before finally supporting the idea of an IAEA mission. Before this “ dangerous situation, President Volodymyr Zelensky had urged the UN nuclear police on Friday to send a team as soon as possible.
Between Thursday and Friday, the plant and its six reactors of 1,000 megawatts each have been totally disconnected » from the national grid due to damage to the power lines, according to kyiv, before being reconnected and restarted.
Vladimir Putin accepted the organization of a mission passing ” by Ukraine and not by Russia, which he previously demanded, the French presidency had indicated in mid-August after a telephone interview.