KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The largest nuclear energy plant in Europe faces “a relatively dangerous situation” after a dam burst in Ukraine and Kyiv launches a counteroffensive to retake floor occupied by Russia, the top of the United Nations nuclear watchdog mentioned Tuesday.
Rafael Moreno Grossi, the top of the International Atomic Energy Agency, spoke to journalists in Kyiv simply earlier than leaving on a visit to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant. That plant has been repeatedly within the crossfire since Russia launched its struggle on Ukraine in February 2022 and seized the ability shortly after.
Grossi mentioned he had met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to debate the scenario affecting the plant, which grew extra critical after the Kakhovka Dam burst final week. The dam, additional down the Dnieper River, helped hold water in a reservoir that cools the plant’s reactors. Ukraine has mentioned Russia blew up the dam, one thing denied by Moscow, although analysts say the flood probably disrupted Kyiv’s counteroffensive plans.
Grossi mentioned the extent of the reservoir that feeds the plant is dropping “quite steadily” however that it didn’t signify an “immediate danger.”
“It is a serious situation because you are limited to the water you have there,” Grossi mentioned. “If there was a break in the gates that contain this water or anything like this, you would really lose all your cooling capacity.”
Ukraine just lately mentioned it hoped to place the final functioning reactor into a chilly shutdown. That’s a course of wherein all management rods are inserted into the reactor core to cease the nuclear fission response and era of warmth and strain. Already, 5 of the plant’s six reactors are in a chilly shutdown.
When requested about Ukraine’s plans, Grossi famous that Russia managed the plant and that it represented “yet again, another unwanted situation deriving from this anomalous situation.” Ukrainian employees nonetheless run the plant, although below an armed Russian army presence. The IAEA has a crew on the plant, and Grossi mentioned its members can be swapped out throughout his journey.
Asked concerning the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Grossi mentioned he was “very concerned” concerning the plant doubtlessly getting caught once more in open warfare.
“There is active combat. So we are worrying that there could be, I mean, obviously mathematically, the possibilities of a hit,” he mentioned.
Grossi confused the IAEA hadn’t but “seen any heavy military equipment” from the Russians on the plant when requested about Ukrainian fears the plant might be wired with explosives.
“There shouldn’t be any military equipment or artillery or amounts of ammunition, an amount that could compromise the security of the plant,” Grossi mentioned. “We do not have any indication at this point. But it could not be excluded.”
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