The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Sunday reported «powerful explosions in the area of the Zaporiyia nuclear power plant» on Saturday afternoon and again this Sunday. Russia has reported up to 15 Ukrainian heavy artillery hits on Sunday alone, one of which landed on the roof of the plant’s Special Building Number 2.
These attacks «bring an abrupt end to a period of relative calm at this facility and once again highlight the need to implement measures to prevent a nuclear accident,» said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, quoted in the agency’s statement.
The IAEA has thus noted «bombings near and on the site of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant». It specifically mentions «more than a dozen explosions» which could be heard and in some cases seen by the IAEA experts present on site.
IAEA inspectors have been informed by the plant management that there has been damage to some buildings, systems and equipment, «but none of it is safety critical».
Grossi has warned that this news is «extremely worrying.» «Explosions have occurred at the site of this huge nuclear power plant and it is completely unacceptable. Whoever is responsible must cease immediately. As I have said many times before, you are playing with fire!» he has warned.
Grossi has thus advocated the establishment of a safety zone around the nuclear power plant. In recent months, this possibility has been negotiated, so far without success. «I will not give up until it becomes a reality. These latest bombings show that it is more necessary than ever,» he reiterated.
IMPACT OF 15 PROJECTILES The Russian nuclear agency, Rosenergoatom, has so far confirmed 15 heavy artillery hits on the territory of the nuclear power plant, one of which has fallen on the roof of Special Building Number 2, where nuclear fuel is stored.
«There was shelling not only yesterday, but also today. They are shelling right now. So far there have been 15 hits on the nuclear power plant facilities. Any such attack on a nuclear power plant poses a security threat,» a spokesman for Rosenergoatom, Renat Karchaa, has warned, telling the Russian news agency TASS.
One of the buildings hit by the buses was Special Building Number 2, which is used to store nuclear fuel. The dry storage area where spent nuclear fuel is stored was also hit.
«Reinforcement structures are already being built. There is a concrete wall that has been affected by shrapnel. Luckily the structures were high enough. Otherwise, the fragments could have entered the storage itself,» Karchaa explained.
At the moment the radiation level remains within normal parameters. «Thank God there have been no radiation emissions so far,» the Russian official said.
Previously, the Russian Defense Ministry had reported two waves of bombardment on the nuclear power plant.
«From 9.15 to 9.45 twelve large-caliber artillery shells have been fired. Eight of them have exploded between the fifth power unit and Special Building Number 2, three hit between the fourth and fifth power units and one hit the roof of Special Building Number 2,» explained Russian Defense Ministry spokesman General Igor Konashenkov, quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax.
Konashenkov explained that «between 10:00 and 10:10, two more shells were fired on the power line that feeds the power plant». In addition, the Russian spokesman recalled that on Saturday the Ukrainian artillery fired eleven large-caliber shells at the territory of the nuclear power plant.
160 RUSSIAN MILITARY PERSONS WOUNDED Kiev for its part has accused Russia of this attack and has denounced that the damaged installations are precisely those necessary to supply electricity to Ukraine.
«The nature and list of the damaged facilities at the Zaporiyia nuclear power plant indicate that the attackers disabled exactly the infrastructure necessary for the start-up of reactors 5 and 6 and the restoration of the plant’s production to meet Ukraine’s needs,» said Energoatom, the Ukrainian nuclear agency.
Kiev also reproaches Russia for using the nuclear power plant facilities as a military base and has denounced Moscow’s «nuclear blackmail» which «endangers the whole world». As a solution, it proposes the demilitarization of the plant and of the neighboring city of Energodar and the return of control of the plant to the Ukrainian authorities.
In addition, Ukraine has reported 160 Russian servicemen wounded as a result of the shooting at a «concentration» of Russian forces in the Zaporiyia region.
«It has been confirmed that the Defense Forces have destroyed enemy troops accumulated in the localities of Vasilievka, Novobogdanovka, Mikhailovka and Kamish-Zaria in the provisionally occupied territory of the Zaporiyia region,» the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has reported.
Ten units of military equipment of various types and an ammunition depot were destroyed. The death toll remains to be confirmed, the Ukrainian General Staff noted in the text, posted on Facebook. Ukraine also reported the downing of an Orlan-10 drone and an attack on a command post and a fuel depot.
In a previous balance of this Sunday Kiev has given an account that since the beginning of the February invasion 84,210 Russian servicemen have died, including 330 killed in the last 24 hours.
