Shelling is reported from the Zaporozhsk power plant: the IAEA warned of the worst, according to Zelensky, the West must act – Topky.sk

ARCHIVE VIDEO Russian army in the occupied Zaporozhye nuclear power plant Representatives of the pro-Russian administration of the city of Enerhodar, where the largest European nuclear power plant is located, reported on a series of explosions in the city and in the vicinity of the facility. “Ukrainian armed forces are conducting massive fire from artillery systems. In Enerhodar, explosions were recorded near the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, near the residential parts of the city and in the industrial zone,” the press service of the pro-Russian administration said, according to the BBC. At the same time, pro-Russian authorities said that the fire came from the opposite side of the Dnieper River, where Nikopol is located. On the other hand, the head of the Nikopol administration, Yevhen Yevtushenko, blamed the Russians for the shelling. “Friends, on the opposite bank, the staging of Russian troops continues under the title ‘Ukrainian armed forces are shelling the city of Enerhodar from the city of Nikopol. In fact, the shelling is being carried out by Russian soldiers,'” Yevtushenko wrote on the Telegram social platform. Photo gallery (6) Source: PHOTO TASR/AP “If the world does not find enough strength and determination now to protect one nuclear power plant, it will mean that it has lost. It lost to the terrorists and could not face their nuclear blackmail,” he commented on the situation around the power plant today Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. In his late-night address to the nation, he added that if the world fails now, it could set a dangerous precedent. “The Russians think that by shelling the Zaporozhye NPP (nuclear power plant) they will force the world to meet their conditions,” Andriy Jermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office, wrote on Twitter. Photo gallery (6) Source: SITA/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File UN may provide support to IAEA delegation The UN said today, according to Reuters, that it may provide logistical and security support to an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) delegation that is seeking o access to the device. UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric added that his organization is in close contact with the IAEA, but both Russia and Ukraine must agree to its possible visit. The IAEA previously warned of a possible disaster at the power plant. Nuclear experts fear that the fighting could damage spent fuel pools or reactors, writes Reuters. Russian invasion forces occupied the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant in early March under dramatic circumstances, when reports came from Ukraine that the attacking Russians were shelling the site of the nuclear facility during fierce fighting. A fire broke out in its non-nuclear part. Photo gallery (6) Source: SITA/AP Photo, File The situation has worsened in recent days, when shelling is regularly reported from near the power plant. Kyiv claims that the facility is being attacked by the Russians, who plan to blame Ukraine for any subsequent power outages, Reuters noted. Ukrainian officials also say Russian forces are using the nuclear plant as cover while they bomb nearby Ukrainian cities. Moscow, on the other hand, blames Ukrainian forces for the attacks. A few days ago, UN Secretary General António Guterres called for the creation of a demilitarized zone around the power plant, but Russia refused. According to the Interfax agency, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed the safe operation of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant with Guterres by phone today. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marija Zakharova then assured, according to Reuters, that Russia would “do everything necessary” to allow IAEA experts to visit the facility. Photo gallery (6) UN chief António Guterres
Source: SITA/AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File Russia considers the IAEA mission to the Zaporizhia Power Plant via Kyiv too risky The inspection trip of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) delegation to the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant must not go through Kyiv, as it would expose the members of the mission to danger in crossing the front line. According to the TASS agency, the leading Russian diplomat Igor Vishnevetsky stated this today. Shelling has been reported from the power plant in recent days, for which both Ukraine and Russia accuse each other. The IAEA warned of a possible disaster. According to Vishnevecki, who is the deputy director of the department for non-proliferation and arms control at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a visit for IAEA delegates would represent a “huge risk” due to possible “provocations” by the Ukrainian army. “If the IAEA delegation crossed the front line, anything could happen,” the Russian diplomat said, adding that Russia had proposed a safe route for the delegates. Photo gallery (6) Source: SITA/AP Photo, File He also rejected UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ proposal to establish a demilitarized zone around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. According to Vishnevecký, the IAEA has no mandate for such a thing. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on Monday called on the international community to ensure the protection of the power plant and prevent an accident in the facility. He described the behavior of the Russian side in the power plant as blackmail. He also repeated his earlier demand that the international community impose sanctions on the Russian company Rosatom and the entire nuclear industry of the “terrorist state”. Shelling is reported from the Zaporozhsk power plant: the IAEA warned of the worst, according to Zelensky, the West must act