IAEA: Risk of an accident at Zaporizhzhia NPP is growing every day

Russia's seizure of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, has resulted in threats to the plant's safety growing every day.

This was stated by Rafael Grossi, Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), during a speech in Canberra on July 05, reports DW.

According to Grossi, the local management and Ukrainian personnel of the nuclear power plant are under serious pressure.

“With each day that this state of affairs persists, the risk of an accident or safety violations increases,” the IAEA director general pointed out.

Current situation at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant

On March 04, Russian occupants seized the city of Energodar and the Zaporizhzhya NPP of the state-owned company Energoatom, located near the city. It is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and the third largest in the world.

Previously, it was reported, that Russians have been gradually transforming the NPP into a military base with many weapons and explosives which can be regarded as an act of “nuclear terrorism.”

International agency officials have not had the opportunity to inspect the Zaporizhzhia NPP since the start of the war in Ukraine. Russian troops took control of the plant four months ago, and Ukrainian personnel continue to ensure its operation. Russian soldiers used to detain workers and subject them to brutal interrogations in search of possible saboteurs.

On July 03, after being beaten by the Russian occupants, a diver from the hydroprocessing department at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, Andriy Goncharuk, died. This was reported in Telegram by the Mayor of Energodar Dmytro Orlov.

Under these circumstances, most workers at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant refuse to cooperate with the occupiers, so the Russians take workers from Rosenergoatom (the operator of Russian nuclear power plants) to the plant, reports the intelligence of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces

According to the plan of the Russians, all employees of the plant who do not want to cooperate with them must leave Energodar. The plant is planned to be disconnected from the Ukrainian grid by the end of September.

Author - Anastasiya Glotova, 06/07/2022