In Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia has been occupied by Russians since March; The site was bombed over the weekend.
The Secretary General of the UN (United Nations), António Guterres, asked this Monday (8.8.2022) that international inspectors be allowed access to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, in Ukraine. Occupied by Russian forces since March, Europe’s biggest nuclear plant was bombed last weekend.
“Any attack on a nuclear power plant is a suicidal thing,” Guterres said in an interview with journalists during visit to japan. He participated of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony. Date marks the 77th anniversary of the 1st atomic bombing of the world.
On Monday (Aug 8), the UN Secretary General reinforced the request of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) for access to the plant to be given to specialists. “We fully support the IAEA in all its efforts to create the conditions for stabilizing the plant“, said.
The director general of the energy agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said on Saturday (Aug 6) that the bombings pose a risk “so real” of a nuclear disaster in Ukraine. Military action around the plant amounts to “play with fire”, with consequences “potentially catastrophic” said Grossi.
He asked for the cooperation of Russia and Ukraine so that the IAEA can lead a “mission” from security experts at the Ukrainian installation, which has not yet been carried out despite the “determined efforts” from the agency.
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTACK
Ukraine’s state energy company Energoatom said Friday’s (Aug 5) attack came from the Russians. Russia, on the other hand, claims that the bombing was carried out by Ukrainians who do not accept the takeover of the plant by the Kremlin army.
A new attack was made on Saturday (6.aug). According to Kiev, 3 radiation sensors were damaged and 1 worker was injured. Despite having been captured by the Russians, the plant is operated by Ukrainians.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of practicing “nuclear terror” and called for new international sanctions, including on the nuclear sector. “There is no such nation in the world that can feel safe when a terrorist state shoots at a nuclear power plant.”, Zelensky said in a speech on Ukrainian TV on Sunday (7.Aug).
A Russian official stationed in the area said Ukrainian forces hit the site with a rocket launcher, damaging administrative buildings and an area near a storage facility.
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