On Monday, Aug. 29, the UN nuclear watchdog offered some hope in the standoff over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is at the center of the fighting in Ukraine, after announcing that a mission of top experts was "now on its way" to the facility, despite fresh shelling in the region.
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), points on a map of the Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as he informs the press about the situation of nuclear powerplants in Ukraine during a special press conference at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria on March 4, 2022. - Grossi offered to travel to Chernobyl in order to negotiate with Ukraine and Russia to try to ensure the security of Ukraine's nuclear sites.
Largest Nuclear Facility in Europe
As reported first by AP, the largest nuclear power station in Europe, Zaporizhzhia, has been captured by Russian forces and run by Ukrainian personnel since the beginning of the six-month conflict. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi has been requesting access to the facility for months.
The announcement came after Ukraine accused Russia of carrying out fresh missile and artillery attacks on the plant or areas nearby, raising concerns that the war would result in a major radiation leak.
Six reactors are located at the complex, which was previously rendered temporarily inoperable by the shelling last week.
Grossi didn't provide a more definite timeline or give any further details of their mission besides posting a picture of himself with 13 other experts, but the Vienna-based IAEA's "Support and Assistance Mission" is scheduled to arrive later this week.
While Moscow accuses Kyiv of firing on the facility, Ukraine claims that Russia is virtually keeping the plant prisoner, stockpiling weapons inside, and conducting attacks from nearby.
One person was confirmed dead and five people injured in Nikopol, the city across the Dnieper River from the nuclear power plant, according to AP.
The Ukrainian mayor of Enerhodar, only a few kilometers from the facility, Dmytro Orlov, attributed at least 10 locals' injuries to Russian bombardment.
The day has come, @IAEAorg's Support and Assistance Mission to #Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) is now on its way. We must protect the safety and security of #Ukraine’s and Europe’s biggest nuclear facility. Proud to lead this mission which will be in #ZNPP later this week. pic.twitter.com/tyVY7l4SrM
— Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) August 29, 2022
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"Hardest Mission in the History of IAEA"
The U.N. agency tweeted that the mission would include determining whether safety and security systems were operational, assessing employee conditions, and evaluating physical damages to the nuclear facility.
"Without an exaggeration, this mission will be the hardest in the history of IAEA," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a statement.
Earlier this month, several explosions struck the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station resulting in damages and partially cutting off a reactor from Ukraine's power system. The facility houses six nuclear reactors and is considered the biggest of its kind in Europe.
Fortunately, there was no radioactive leak reported. However, the UN chief raised a "suicidal" nuclear explosion alarm after the incident.
Both forces blamed each other for the explosions. Russia claims that Ukraine has carried out its strikes in the area, but Ukraine has also accused Moscow of using the facility as a shield for artillery and rocket attacks.
But according to a report by IAEA on Sunday, two of the six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia plant were operational, the radiation levels were normal, and recent fighting had damaged a water conduit, which had since been repaired.
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
