On the site of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant
A press trip was organized on Sunday to the site of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Ukraine and Europe, whose capture by the Russian army has aroused the concern of the international community.
Moscow forces took control in early March of this plant located in the city of Energodar (written Enerhodar, in Ukrainian) in southern Ukraine, separated by the waters of the Dnieper from the regional capital Zaporizhia, under Ukrainian control . The clashes that took place there raised fears within the international community of a nuclear disaster similar to that which occurred in 1986 in Chernobyl.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) was able to see the damage: the facade of a large administrative building which served as a training center for the staff of the plant is blackened by the flames and many windows are shattered. But no trace of shooting or bombardment was visible on the six cubes surmounted by a red dome containing the reactors which began to be built in the 1980s.
Before the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, this plant had a capacity of 5,700 megawatts, enough to cover more than 20% of the country’s electricity needs.
Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency ruled “concerning” the situation at the Zaporizhia power plant, to which its experts have not had access since it was taken over by Moscow. The power plant “operates normally, in accordance with nuclear, radioactive and environmental standards”however, assures Major General Valéri Vasiliev, a specialist in nuclear and chemical issues, sent by Moscow to secure the site.
Displaying their casualness, none of the few soldiers standing guard behind piles of sandbags are wearing overalls, masks or any other protective equipment against radiation. ” Here, everything is fine ! »trumpeted the new pro-Moscow mayor of Energodar, Andrei Shevtchik, who arrived at this post in the wake of the Russians. “We are ready to sell electricity to Europe. Any buyer is welcome. It’s very cheap! »he adds, before leaving aboard a gleaming SUV covered with Russian flags.
However, a great vagueness surrounds the operation of the plant, which continues to be provided by the Ukrainian teams. While this kind of on-site press trips in wartime provide a physical overview of the situation, they do not always offer the possibility of carrying out in-depth investigations. Thus, AFP was unable to meet any of the site’s employees to judge the degree of coordination between them and the new masters of the premises.
