Ukraine war
UN calls for “unrestricted access” to nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia
A Russian soldier stands on the site of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. photo
© Uncredited/AP/dpa
Access to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant remains a contentious issue between Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations. Meanwhile, worries about new fights at the facility remain.
The United Nations have again asked Russia and Kyiv to give them the go-ahead for an expert mission to the contested Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. “We reiterate our call on the parties to allow the IAEA mission immediate, safe and unhindered access to the site,” UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo said Tuesday at a UN Security Council meeting in Washington New York. She emphasized that the IAEA renewed its request for a corresponding operation on Tuesday.
The IAEA mission, which is supported in principle by all sides, has so far failed over the disputed question of whether the experts are traveling via Russian-controlled territory or – which would be correct under international law – from Ukrainian territory. Two weeks ago, the Russian Foreign Ministry had already raised the accusation that an agreement had been prevented by objections from the UN leadership. On Tuesday, a ministry spokeswoman again criticized the UN and spoke of a “wrong game by the Secretariat of the United Nations”.
DiCarlo said preparations for an expert mission from an area under Ukrainian control to the Russian-held nuclear plant were ongoing but needed approval from Kyiv and Moscow. Meanwhile, the de-escalation around Zaporizhia continues with “almost daily reports of alarming incidents at the plant.” Any attack on the plant is “suicidal” because of the immense nuclear danger.
Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of shelling the nuclear power plant. Moscow’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebensia told the Security Council on Tuesday that Russia had forwarded a letter with photos as evidence to the most important UN bodies. “We have a whole body of such photographic evidence that was circulated this morning as an official document within this Security Council and General Assembly.” The letter, which is available to the German Press Agency, contains twelve photos that are said to show the power plant after the shelling on August 20th.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has denied the allegation. “No one in their right mind could imagine that Ukraine would attack a nuclear power plant that faces a huge risk of nuclear catastrophe and is located on its own territory,” said Ambassador of Ukraine Serhiy Kislizia. Russia is making the issue of nuclear safety a “farce, a circus.”