Ukraine, The International Atomic Energy Agency denounces: “The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is out of control”

It is the largest in Europe and is “completely out of control“. He doesn’t mince words Rafael Grossithe general manager of Aieathe International Atomic Energy Agency, talking about the nuclear power plant of Zaporizhzhia currently occupied by the Russians. “There is a catalog of things that should never happen anywhere nuclear plant“, Underlined Grossi, quoted by the international media, adding that“ the situation is a lot fragile. Each principle of nuclear safety it has been violated in one way or another and we cannot allow this to continue ”. The IAEA cannot access the plant to carry out inspections, communications have been interrupted and it is no longer sure that “the‘plant is getting everything it needs ”. In short, a time bomb at the center of theUkraine, ready to explode at any moment. Since the beginning of the war in Ukrainewhen the Russians barricaded themselves inside the plant, the problem of securing the power plant in Zaporizhzhia it has been at the center of the concerns of the entire international community. In fact, since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the nuclear site was target of attacks that put the safety of the structure and the area around the plant. The same director of the Aiea, denounced the fact that the physical integrity of the plant was not respected, citing the bombing and conflicting information that came from the two parties involved, engaged in a continuous rebound of responsibility between Russians and Ukrainians . Now, 6 months after that February 24the situation has worsened alarmingly.

One of the aspects that most worry the officials of the Aiea concerns the interruption of communications with the central. In these long months of war, the agency has repeatedly lost contact with the surveillance systems that track the nuclear material of the plant. Which means that if there were any problems, it would hardly be possible to to intervene in time. Going to inspect the site for IAEA officials, then, is still practically impossible, especially because there is a lack of collaboration on both sides. The overland journey through the occupied territory it would require the deployment of special security measures which cannot be guaranteed at the moment due to the fighting. Complicating the situation is a “paradoxical situation” at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The plant, in fact, is controlled by Russia but the personnel who continue to carry out its nuclear operations are Ukrainian. According to what was stated by the director of the IAEA, this situation leads to inevitable moments of friction and alleged violence even if, as the agency specifies, contacts with staff are “not very reliable”. In a press briefing, the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken called Russia’s actions around the plant “the pinnacle ofirresponsibility“Accusing Fly to use it as “Nuclear shield” in the attacks on the Ukrainian forces, as if to demonstrate that they have the knife on the side of the handle, trying to intimidate the Ukrainian forces.