Attacks on Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
Russia calls emergency IAEA meeting
April 8, 2024, 10:06 p.m
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Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of being responsible for the attacks on the occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Moscow has now announced that it will involve the Atomic Energy Agency’s Council. Kyiv, on the other hand, speaks of a campaign.
Russia says it has called an emergency meeting of the Council of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) because of the drone attacks on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. The Russian representative in the Council, Mikhail Ulyanov, wrote on X that the background was Ukraine’s “recent attacks and provocations”. There was no statement from the government in Kiev. She has denied any involvement.
The Russian Foreign Ministry attributed full responsibility to Kiev for drone attacks on the nuclear power plant occupied by Russian troops. “With its criminal actions, Ukraine, supported by the USA and its Western satellites, is making it clear that it has chosen the path of nuclear terror,” said a statement from the Foreign Office in Moscow. “The task of the global community and international organizations, especially the IAEA, is to deprive Kiev of the opportunity to carry out terrorist attacks on nuclear facilities,” the Russian Foreign Ministry continued.
Ukraine: “Campaign of Provocations”
Ukraine accuses Russia of spreading false information. Moscow is attacking the nuclear power plant with drones “and pretending that the threat to the plant and nuclear safety comes from Ukraine,” said the head of the Ukrainian Center for Combating Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko. The allegations are part of a “campaign of provocations and misinformation” against Ukraine.
According to the Russian operators of the power plant, a kamikaze drone was recently shot down over the plant and fell on the roof of reactor number six. The Russian-appointed head of the facility, Yuri Chernichuk, said: “This is dangerous, dangerous for the facility, dangerous for the surrounding area and potentially dangerous for all of humanity.” According to the IAEA nuclear agency, nuclear safety was not endangered by the attack.
IAEA speaks of escalation
The IAEA reported three drone attacks on Sunday without blaming any of the warring parties. According to Russian information, three people were injured in these incidents. IAEA Director Rafael Grossi described the attacks as an escalation. “Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a serious nuclear accident and must be stopped immediately.”
Russian forces took Zaporizhzhia shortly after the start of their war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022. It is operated by a subsidiary of the Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom. The largest nuclear power plant in Europe is located in southern Ukraine. The reactors have indeed been shut down. However, it relies on external power or diesel generators for cooling to prevent a potentially catastrophic meltdown. The connection to the external power supply was lost several times.
The reactors themselves are each located in a concrete cube with concrete walls one meter thick. In the middle are the reactors, whose containment containers have another 20 centimeter thick layer of steel. According to experts, several targeted hits with large-caliber grenades or special bunker-busting ammunition would be necessary just to destroy the concrete walls.