UN Nuclear Chief Says Situation At Zaporizhzhia Plant is ‘serious’ but
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Hashim Sheikh
- . June 16, 2023
- . Update: June 16, 2023 5:47 pm
A Look at Zaporizhzhia Plant-
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, which is under the control of Russia.
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This Zaporizhzhia plant is in a “serious” situation, according to the head of the UN Atomic Energy Agency. He added that securing water for cooling was a top priority during his visit and that the station could continue to run safely for “some time.”
Following last week’s breach in the Kakhovka dam downstream on the Dnipro River, Rafael Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspected the condition of Europe’s largest nuclear plant. IAEA inspectors would continue to be present, he said.
Grossi posted two tweets from locations close to the station, including next to a pond that provides water for cooling, saying, “What is essential for the safety of this plant is that the water that you see behind me stays at that level.”
“The plant can be kept safe for a while with the water that is already present. Water will be replenished by the plant so that regular safety procedures can be carried out.
After visiting the plant in southern Ukraine three times since Russian forces took control of it in the early days of their invasion in February 2022, Grossi claimed that the trip had yielded “a good amount of information for an assessment.”
Russia and Ukraine have accused the other of shelling the plant in the area, endangering its ability to operate safely. The six reactors at the station are currently off.
Gunfire briefly stopped Grossi’s convoy as it was returning to Ukrainian-controlled territory after the visit, according to an IAEA spokesperson, but the delegation was not in immediate danger.
Tass news agency earlier reported that a Russian energy industry official had accused Ukraine of opening fire on the convoy.
Grossi had earlier in the day argued that it was unreasonable to anticipate Moscow and Kyiv signing a security agreement for the site while fighting raged nearby
The cooling pond next to the plant was typically refilled from the Kakhovka reservoir, but officials say this is no longer possible due to the breach and subsequent decline in water level.
The pond, which is isolated from the reservoir, can be refilled using substantial underground wells, according to them.
Earlier, Grossi was quoted by Russian news agencies as describing the situation as “serious” at the site. On one hand, we can see that the situation is serious, the consequences [of the dam’s destruction] are there, and they are real, he said in his statement.
“Measures are being taken to stabilize the situation at the same time”
Due to the intense fighting, Grossi’s trip was postponed by one day for security reasons.
The nuclear plant and the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam were both taken by Russian forces shortly after they were sent into Ukraine in February 2022 by President Vladimir Putin.
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Grossi has repeatedly demanded an end to fighting near the facility to prevent any severe mishaps. There have been numerous power line cuts. The plant has backup water sources in addition to diesel generators.
