The inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency have reached their destination: after a dangerous journey, they arrive at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. There, one of the reactors had to be shut down after being shelled at night.
For the first time since the beginning of the war more than six months ago, a team of international experts has arrived at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhia in southern Ukraine. The observer mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) wants to get an idea of ??the conditions in the nuclear power plant, which has been occupied by Russian troops since March. The power plant with a total of six reactors is repeatedly under fire. The two warring parties blame each other for this. Internationally, there is increasing concern that a nuclear incident could occur.
According to the IAEA and the Ukrainian nuclear agency Enerhoatom, which operates the power plant, the team arrived in Zaporizhia around 2:15 p.m. local time (1:15 p.m. CEST). The power plant had been shelled just an hour earlier, Enerhoatom reported. According to media reports, the IAEA convoy also had to stop several times in order not to come under fire. IAEA boss Rafael Grossi emphasized on departure in the morning that he was aware of the dangers. But the mission is too important to call off at the last moment.
According to a Ukrainian representative familiar with the situation, the visit could be shorter than planned. The reason is the fighting in the immediate vicinity of the plant. The Ukrainian operator of the power plant had previously announced that a reactor had been shut down after night shelling. The emergency system was then activated and pile number 5 was switched off at 03:57 a.m. CEST.
In total, Grossi has 13 experts at his side. They want to talk to the operating staff and inspect the power plant site. The workforce is mostly Ukrainian. Grossi announced that some experts will remain stationed in Zaporizhia for a longer period of time. There had been a lengthy diplomatic tug-of-war over the mission. Among other things, it was criticized that the IAEA boss wanted to lead the delegation himself.
Both warring parties agreed to their terms at the end of the inspection. Kyiv, for example, insisted that the delegation’s route had to go through Ukrainian territory and that the experts should not travel via Crimea, which had been annexed by Russia since 2014.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov once again stressed Moscow’s willingness to support the observer mission. “We expect objectivity from this,” said the minister in Moscow. Russia wants to present itself as a responsible user and operator of the nuclear power plant – and at the same time Ukraine as the culprit for the shelling. Ukraine, on the other hand, sees the mission as an opportunity to demilitarize the zone around the nuclear power plant. This could mean a first step towards re-establishing control over one’s own territory.
With a capacity of 5700 megawatts, the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is the most powerful nuclear plant in Europe. The area and the associated town of Enerhodar were conquered by the occupying forces shortly after the start of the Russian war of aggression. Since then they have been controlled by a Moscow-based military administration. However, the power plant itself will continue to be operated by Ukrainian specialists.
The International Red Cross, meanwhile, called on Russia and Ukraine to end the fighting near the nuclear power plant. “There must be no fighting in, around, towards and out of facilities like the nuclear power plant,” said the organization’s leader, Robert Mardini. In the event of a “massive incident” at the power plant, there would be “little that anyone can do.”
