‘We are living in a time of crisis,’ Warned UN nuclear chief on the Ukraine plant | World news
AFP | | Posted by Singh Rahul Sunilkumar
UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi warned on Thursday that “we live in a time of crisis” following two recent explosions near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia plant.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly expressed fears over the safety of the plant, which is Europe’s largest atomic power station.
Russian forces took control of a six-reactor plant in southern Ukraine in March last year.
“We are living in an exciting time when it comes to nuclear safety and security at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant,” Grossi said in a statement.
“Unless we take action to protect the plant, our luck will sooner or later run out, with serious consequences for human health and the environment,” he added.
Two ground-breaking explosions occurred outside the plant’s perimeter wall – the first on April 8, and another four days later, according to the statement.
He immediately said what caused the explosions.
Grossi met senior Russian officials in Kalingrad last week and before that with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Zaporizhzhia to discuss a security plan.
He also warned on Thursday that the plant continues to depend on a power line that is still working, which is “a serious risk to nuclear safety and security”.
A backup power line damaged on March 1 has not been repaired, the IAEA said.
He also said that the labor situation at the plant remains “complicated and challenging”, in part due to a shortage of workers.
