Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, was hit by missiles 10 days ago and is under observation
The director general of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), Rafael Grossi, said on Thursday (June 15, 2023) that the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, in Ukraine, is “serious”, despite ensuring that the station is safe for “some time”.
According to the UN agency (United Nations), the rupture of the Nova Kakhovka dam on June 6 increased the risk of a nuclear accident. Grossi explained that the potential loss of the plant’s main source of cooling water is the main point of concern.
The head of the nuclear agency said the water level in the reservoir is sufficient at the moment. “With the water that is here, the plant can be safe for a while. The plant will work to replenish the water so that safety functions can continue as normal.“, he spoke.
Also according to Grossi, on its 3rd visit to Zaporizhzhia since the start of the war, in February 2022, the IAEA collected “a good amount of information for an evaluation”. The site will remain under surveillance.
UNDERSTAND
A dam at the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric plant, in southern Ukraine, was the target of an explosion in the early hours of Tuesday (June 6). Kiev and Moscow blame each other for the incident – the region has territories controlled by Russia.
The dam is in the Kherson region and controls the flow of water to dozens of settlements. It also serves as the source for a crucial canal that brings water to parts of Crimea.
In November 2022, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that any attempt by Russian forces to blow up the New Kakhovka hydroelectric plant, flooding Ukrainian territory and compromising the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, would mean that Russia is “declaring war on the whole world”.
On June 6, the Ukrainian described the dam failure as “an environmental bomb of mass destruction”. He also said that his country had contacted representatives of the ICC (International Criminal Court) in The Hague, “to involve international justice in the investigation of the destruction of the dam”.
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