British channel “Sky News” had the opportunity to talk to two technicians from the nuclear power plant. If they don’t meet during the interview, they have the same talk.
In fact, they emphasized the dramatic consequences this war could have if the plant was damaged. “Radioactive contamination and, more importantly, contamination will cover thousands of square kilometers of land and sea. It will be far worse than Fukushima and Chernobyl.”
Sky News reports: Power has already been cut seven times and that always equates to danger. Electricity is needed to cool furnaces and prevent meltdowns. Backup generators are not maintained as they should be. Because of the war, the factory still employs only 3,500 people instead of the usual 11,000. “The situation continues to deteriorate. »
The head of the IAEA calls for respecting “5 principles” to avoid an accident in Zaporizhia
The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday called on the UN to address Russia and Ukraine. Before the Security Council he called for support for five “concrete principles” to ensure the safety of the Ukrainian plant in Zaporizhia and avoid a “nuclear accident”.
“We’re lucky there hasn’t been a nuclear accident yet,” said Raffaele Croci, recalling that the plant, which was occupied by the Russian military, was cut off seven times and had to rely on generators. Emergency, “Last line. Defense against nuclear reactor”, to cool the reactor.
The UN chief has been negotiating for months to secure the base in southeastern Ukraine, where the situation is considered extremely dangerous due to bombings linked to the fighting.
With this in mind, he presented his “fundamental principles necessary to prevent a nuclear accident” at the council on Tuesday.
The first of these is that “there shall be no attack from or against the plant, particularly targeting reactors, spent fuel or other infrastructure or personnel”.
These policies include that the site is not used to store heavy weapons or military personnel and that the plant cannot be disconnected from the power grid. “The IAEA’s Five Principles for Avoiding Nuclear Accidents are thus established. The IAEA intends to begin monitoring the application of these principles through its on-site work,” he added.
“I respectfully and wholeheartedly invite both sides to respect these principles,” he stressed. “I appeal to the esteemed members of the Security Council to support them without hesitation,” he added.
The plant, the largest in Europe, is located on the banks of the Dnieper River, which, in this area, separates the two camps.
It has been the target of gunfire several times and has suffered seven power cuts since its capture by the Russian military on March 4, 2022.
Raffaele Croci, who has a team of experts at the site, stepped up his efforts by visiting the site at the end of March and warning of a “real risk of a nuclear accident”.
The idea of a demilitarized zone around the base, mentioned at the outset, was abandoned in favor of realistic measures acceptable to both Kyiv and Moscow.
