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UN appeals for access to Russia-held Ukrainian nuclear plant | Russia-Ukraine war News


The UN nuclear chief says contact with the Zaporizhzhia plant is ‘fragile’ and access is difficult.

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog has called for access to a Ukraine nuclear power plant currently occupied by Russian troops to determine if it is a source of danger.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi told Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger the contact was with Europe’s largest nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia and being operated by technicians. Ukraine.

“We were unable to contact the factory in areas where safety is concerned. We are aware of the allegations that live ammunition was stored in the factory, that there were attacks on the power plant,” he said in an interview published in German.

“Honestly, if I don’t have access, I can’t determine that. There are contradictions between the accounts of the Russian and Ukrainian sides. I received the information, I also mentioned it in my situation reports, but I have no way of determining whether it is consistent with the facts.”

A Russian-installed official in Ukraine on Wednesday said Ukrainian forces have repeatedly used Western weapons to attack the plant, where two of the six reactors are operating and are subject to of repeated warnings from Ukraine, the West and Russia.

On Tuesday, Grossi told the AP news agency that the factory was “completely out of control” and that the supply chain for equipment and parts had been disrupted “so we’re not sure if the factory can meet all of that.” it needs”.

The IAEA also needs to do very important checks to make sure that nuclear material is being protected, “and there’s a lot of nuclear material out there that needs to be tested,” he said.

“When you put these things together, you get a list of things that should never happen in any nuclear facility,” says Grossi.

Grossi said United Nations discussions with the parties to the conflict included a proposed agreement on security zones around nuclear plants but he was not willing to reach an agreement there. this period.

“Access to the plant is difficult and overland travel through the occupied territory will require special security arrangements,” he said. Negotiations with the Ukrainian government on arranging a visit are already underway.

The agency has occasionally reported disconnection from nuclear material monitoring systems at electric Factory.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday called Russia’s actions around the plant “the pinnacle of irresponsibility”, accusing Moscow of using it as a “nuclear shield” in attacks on nuclear plants. Ukrainian forces.

Mr Blinken told reporters after nuclear non-proliferation talks at the United Nations in New York that he was “deeply concerned” that Washington was using the plant as a military base and firing on US forces. Ukrainian volume from around it.

“Of course the Ukrainians could not have returned fire without a terrible accident involving the nuclear plant,” he said.

Al Jazeera was unable to verify battlefield accounts from either side of the war.



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