The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi on Sunday assessed the attacks on the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia as “absolutely deliberate, targeted” and in an interview with the French channel assessed the situation as “extremely serious”. BFMTV.
“A good dozen” strikes targeted the plant, with no Russian or Ukrainian forces claiming responsibility, Mr. Grossi said. “There are some people who consider a nuclear power plant a legitimate military target, which is unbelievable,” he said angrily.
“Whoever it is, stop this madness!”, the head of the IAEA insisted: “Those who do this know where they are hitting. It is completely deliberate, targeted.”
Russia and Ukraine on Sunday accused each other of bombing the plant, located in southern Ukraine, and of being militarily occupied by the Russian military.
“The plant is on the front line, there are military operations that are very difficult to identify, Russian personnel and Ukrainian personnel are active,” Mr. Grossi said.
The IAEA, which has two on-site inspectors at the plant, is conducting the assessment. “The damage was done in very subtle areas,” Mr. Grossi assessed.
“We expect to be able to take stock early tomorrow morning,” he added, adding that investigators could not go out on Sunday because the situation was so dangerous.
Russia, which has been waging an offensive in Ukraine since February 24, has militarily occupied the site of the power plant and Russian President Vladimir Putin said it annexed its annex and four Ukrainian regions.
For months, Moscow and Kiev have blamed each other for the bombings at the base.
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