Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of trying to block IAEA work at the nuclear plant
A Russian off-road armored vehicle is parked outside the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant during the visit of an IAEA expert mission during the Ukrainian-Russian conflict on the outskirts of Enerhodar in Zaporizhia region, Ukraine, September 1, 2022. (Photo: REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko)
Ukrainian and Russian agencies continue to accuse it of trying to block the International Atomic Energy Agency’s work to safeguard the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
“The Russian military lies, manipulates and misrepresents the reality of the Zaporizhia NPP, only disseminating information about the IAEA mission visit,” Ukrainian nuclear supplier Energoatom said on Friday.
He also accused the Russians of trying to prevent the International Atomic Energy Agency from learning the facts on the ground.
Energoatom added: “Military trucks parked in the turbine halls of power plants failed to meet all fire safety requirements and were presented to IAEA experts as chemical defense force equipment. The Russian military is trying to cover up all nuclear and radiological safety violations. Him”.
“Only operational personnel were allowed to work at the Zaporizhia NPP, while the presence of people in the corridors of the IAEA delegation members was significantly reduced,” Energoatom said.
“Under such conditions, it is clear that it will be difficult for the IAEA to make an impartial assessment of the situation at ZNPP.”
For their part, pro-Russian officials in the occupied territory accuse the Ukrainians of obstructing the IAEA’s work.
Oleksandr Volka, head of Enerhodar’s military-civilian administration, said Friday that “the shelling of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has not stopped, but its intensity has decreased significantly,” and technicians continued to work on restoring damaged power lines. “As a result of the massive shelling of Enerhoder from the Ukrainian side.”
Volka said the IAEA team still had documents at the plant “related to the nuclear power plant, as well as a map of the explosion by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
After Thursday’s hours-long visit, most of the IAEA mission has left the plant, but a small team remains. IAEA Director General Raffaele Croci assured that the agency would remain at the plant.
