The Russian representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said Thursday that Moscow is in favor of promoting a »protection zone» in the vicinity of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, located in southern Ukraine and considered the largest in Europe.
According to Ulyanov, »the key parameters of the exclusion zone have now been formulated quite clearly», thus showing himself in favor of a proposal made months ago by the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi.
Thus, Ulyanov detailed that these parameters include the inadmissibility of launching attacks against the plant; the prohibition of initiating offensives from the nuclear plant; establishing guarantees to prevent the deployment of heavy weapons and ammunition in Zaporizhzhia; and »guaranteeing nuclear and physical security measures to prevent a nuclear incident».
»For our part, we fully share these provisions and support Mr. Rafael Grossi’s initiative to create a »protection zone» on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,» the Russian representative in the Austrian capital remarked, as reported by the Interfax news agency.
However, Ulyanov has always conditioned Moscow’s approval to the fact that Kiev also supports these security guarantees and commits itself not to attack the facilities. The Ukrainian side avoids such confirmation in every possible way,» he denounced.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been in the early hours of Thursday morning the target of new bombardments by the Russian Armed Forces, which has caused a disconnection of the general electric network and has caused that, for hours, the facilities have depended on emergency diesel generators.
The latest wave of attacks has forced a new disconnection of the plant from the power grid, something that has not happened since November and which forces the facilities to rely on emergency generators, »the last line of defense» in Grossi’s words.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
