The UN nuclear watchdog said in an update on Wednesday that there were no visible signs of mines or explosives at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine. It follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s accusation, citing military intelligence, that the Kremlin possibly planted explosives on the roof of the facility.
“Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) present at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) have over the last few days and weeks inspected parts of the facility – including some sections of the perimeter of the large cooling pond – and also carried out regular site visits. , so far without observing any visible indication of mines or explosives,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, according to the update.
IAEA experts requested additional access to the site to confirm the absence of mines or explosives, Grossi said. In particular, “access to the roofs of reactor units 3 and 4 is essential, as well as access to parts of the turbine rooms and some parts of the plant’s cooling system,” he said.
Ukraine said on Wednesday it had procedures in place for a possible Russian attack on the nuclear plant. Meanwhile, the Kremlin alleged “a major threat of sabotage from Kiev”.
“With military tension and activities increasing in the region where this large nuclear power plant is located, our experts must be able to verify the facts on the ground,” added Grossi. “Their independent and objective reporting would help shed light on the current situation on the site, which is crucial at a time like this with unconfirmed allegations and counter-information.”
The IAEA noted that it is aware of reports that mines and other explosives have been placed in and around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
The nuclear watchdog update added: “Director General Grossi said the IAEA team had not reported any recent bombing or explosions and added that the military presence on the ground appeared unchanged.”
In an interview with CNN Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had pushed for more IAEA inspectors.
“We said, ‘Your team there, there are four people and this factory is like (a) city.’ … Huge. It’s very big. Four people are not going to find mines,” he said.
Russia captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in early March 2022, but it is still mainly operated by Ukrainian workers. Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant is on the front lines of the war, meaning bombing in the vicinity is common and the plant has been frequently disconnected from Ukraine’s power grid – repeatedly raising fears of a nuclear accident.
Source: CNN Brasil
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