untitled design

Ukraine: A reactor at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant was shut down due to Russian bombing

One of the two remaining reactors at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant was shut down due to Russian shelling, Ukrainian operator Energoatom announced today.

“As a result of yet another shelling by Russian (…) forces against the Zaporizhia nuclear plant site, emergency protection was activated and the fifth power plant was shut down,” Energoatom said on Telegram.

Energoatom added that “power unit 6 is still operating” and provides the electricity needed by the nuclear plant.

The IAEA mission is on its way to the nuclear power plant

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission has left Zaporizhia in Ukraine and is heading to the nuclear power plant in the Russian-controlled city of Enerhodar, despite reports of heavy shelling there.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said he had been informed of “increased military activity in the area” but added that he would not change his plans to visit the nuclear plant and meet with its staff.

However, the Ukrainian authorities accused Russia of bombing Enerhodar today, specifically along the road that the International Organization’s mission will follow.

“The Russians are conducting artillery strikes against the route the IAEA mission will take to get to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant,” which is in Russian hands, the city’s exiled mayor Dmytro Orlov complained on Telegram.

He estimated that the mission cannot “continue its way” to the station “for security reasons”.

“We demand that Russia stop the provocations and allow the IAEA access to this Ukrainian nuclear facility,” Orlov stressed.

Already at dawn, the Russians “opened fire on Enerhodar with mortars, automatic weapons and rocket launchers,” Orlov had reported in Telegram. His post was accompanied by photos of damaged buildings and plumes of black smoke.

Moscow accuses Kyiv of trying to seize the nuclear plant

The Russian Defense Ministry announced today that Ukrainian forces attempted to seize the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, which is under Russian control.

In a statement, the ministry said that up to 60 Ukrainian soldiers crossed the Dnieper River, which separates the two sides, in boats at 06:00 a.m. local time. He called the operation “a provocation” aimed at disrupting a planned visit by an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team to the nuclear plant.

The Russian ministry stressed that “measures were taken” to neutralize the opposing troops, also with the help of the air force.

For its part, a Russian-appointed regional official said Russian forces had spotted Ukrainian troops near the nuclear plant, with the Russian air force pinning them down.

In an interview with Russian state broadcaster RT, Vladimir Rogov said Ukrainian forces launched the attack out of “desperation” ahead of an upcoming IAEA visit to the nuclear plant.

Earlier Ukrainian authorities in the Zaporizhia province accused Russian troops of shelling along the road the IAEA mission will take to reach the nuclear plant.

SOURCE: APE-ME

Source: Capital

You may also like

Get the latest

Stay Informed: Get the Latest Updates and Insights

 

Most popular