“It appears that shootings are happening again near Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told agency headquarters that more than ten explosions were heard in a short time lapse in the morning local time. The IAEA team could also see some explosions from their windows,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement posted on the agency’s website.
Citing information provided by the plant’s management, the IAEA team said that some buildings, systems and equipment have been damaged at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant facility, but none of them are yet critical infrastructure that would represent a threat to nuclear safety.
It should be noted that there are no reports of victims.
IAEA experts are in close contact with facilities management and will continue to assess and report on the situation.
“The news from our team yesterday and this morning is extremely disturbing. There have been explosions at the site of this major nuclear power plant, which is completely unacceptable. This must stop immediately! As I have said many times, you are playing with fire, Grosso said.
He reiterated his call on Ukraine and Russia to reach an agreement and implement a nuclear safe zone around ZAES as soon as possible.
According to Grossi, he has engaged in intense consultations with Ukraine and Russia on the creation of such a zone in recent months, but so far without an agreement.
“I will not give up until this zone becomes a reality. As evidenced by the apparent ongoing shooting, it is needed more than ever,” he said.
