ENERHODAR, UKRAINE - Amid renewed shelling at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the UN's IAEA has decided to go ahead and visit the plant and has dispatched a team of nuclear specialists.
According to the Associated Press, the Director-General Rafael Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency has been seeking access to the plant which is Europe's largest, as it has become occupied by Russian forces yet is still run by Ukrainian workers since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
The announcement of the IAEA team's dispatch comes as Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of continued artillery and rocket strikes, which have increased fears of a radiation incident, comparable to Chernobyl.
The facility, which has a total of six nuclear reactors, has already been taken completely offline during shelling the previous week, according to the IAEA website.
On Twitter, Grossi made a statement that read, "the day has come... Support and Assistance Mission... Is on its way." There was no further information other than a picture which was of himself and 13 others.
According to the IAEA website regarding the shutdown on August 25th:
The IAEA has stated in a tweet that it would assess damage to the facility and discover if the safety and security systems were still operational. They would also provide checkups for the staff and assure they have satisfactory conditions.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister stated this while in Stockholm, Sweden:
The atomic energy agency in Ukraine issued a map that forecasts the flow of radiation if the Zaporizhzhia plant were to sustain a hit and leak radiation. It has predicted the flow into western Europe, Ukraine, Russia, and countries of the Balkans.
As blame for the strikes on the power plant has been coming from both sides, neither can be independently confirmed. Ukraine has accused Russia of holding the nuclear power plant captive as a shield while Russian forces use it as a launch site for heavy artillery, rocket strikes, and weapons storage. Russia has then accused Ukraine of firing at the facility directly because of this.
The city across the Dnieper river from the nuclear power plant, Nikopol, Ukraine has reported shelling where there was one death and 5 others injured. In the city of Enerhodar, which is the closest town to the plant, the mayor, Dmytro Orlov, blamed the injuries of 10 people due to Russian shelling.
In Russia's counter blame, Igor Konashenkov of the Russian Defense Ministry stated that Ukrainian forces have attacked the nuclear power plant twice the previous day and artillery shells struck close to the reactor fuel storage facility and radioactive waste storage facility.
The IAEA continues to report that radiation levels are normal, yet only two of the six reactors at the plant even though there has not been a complete assessment, a water pipe was damaged in shelling but has been repaired.
According to the Associated Press, the Director-General Rafael Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency has been seeking access to the plant which is Europe's largest, as it has become occupied by Russian forces yet is still run by Ukrainian workers since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
The announcement of the IAEA team's dispatch comes as Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of continued artillery and rocket strikes, which have increased fears of a radiation incident, comparable to Chernobyl.
The facility, which has a total of six nuclear reactors, has already been taken completely offline during shelling the previous week, according to the IAEA website.
On Twitter, Grossi made a statement that read, "the day has come... Support and Assistance Mission... Is on its way." There was no further information other than a picture which was of himself and 13 others.
According to the IAEA website regarding the shutdown on August 25th:
The IAEA has stated in a tweet that it would assess damage to the facility and discover if the safety and security systems were still operational. They would also provide checkups for the staff and assure they have satisfactory conditions.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister stated this while in Stockholm, Sweden:
The atomic energy agency in Ukraine issued a map that forecasts the flow of radiation if the Zaporizhzhia plant were to sustain a hit and leak radiation. It has predicted the flow into western Europe, Ukraine, Russia, and countries of the Balkans.
As blame for the strikes on the power plant has been coming from both sides, neither can be independently confirmed. Ukraine has accused Russia of holding the nuclear power plant captive as a shield while Russian forces use it as a launch site for heavy artillery, rocket strikes, and weapons storage. Russia has then accused Ukraine of firing at the facility directly because of this.
The city across the Dnieper river from the nuclear power plant, Nikopol, Ukraine has reported shelling where there was one death and 5 others injured. In the city of Enerhodar, which is the closest town to the plant, the mayor, Dmytro Orlov, blamed the injuries of 10 people due to Russian shelling.
In Russia's counter blame, Igor Konashenkov of the Russian Defense Ministry stated that Ukrainian forces have attacked the nuclear power plant twice the previous day and artillery shells struck close to the reactor fuel storage facility and radioactive waste storage facility.
The IAEA continues to report that radiation levels are normal, yet only two of the six reactors at the plant even though there has not been a complete assessment, a water pipe was damaged in shelling but has been repaired.
Sources
The Associated Press | IAEA | The National Herald
Photo Accreditation
ZNPP | Author: Ralf1969 | GNU Free Documentation License, version 1.2 | via Wikimedia Commons
Importance Level
HIGH
The Associated Press | IAEA | The National Herald
Photo Accreditation
ZNPP | Author: Ralf1969 | GNU Free Documentation License, version 1.2 | via Wikimedia Commons
Importance Level
HIGH