The International Committee of the Red Cross on Thursday called for a halt to all military operations around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, held by the Russian army in southeastern Ukraine, warning that an attack would be ” catastrophic”.
“It is high time to stop playing with fire and instead take concrete steps to protect this site and others like it from all military operations,” ICRC director-general Robert Mardini told reporters in Kyiv. .
His statements came as a team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected at the plant on Thursday for a high-risk mission.
Ukraine accused the Russian army on Thursday of bombing the area while Moscow accused kyiv of having sent a team of “saboteurs” there to try to take control of the plant.
“The slightest miscalculation could wreak havoc that we would regret for decades,” Mr Mardini warned.
He considered it “encouraging” that the IAEA team is on its way to inspect the site, because of the “tremendous” stakes.
“When dangerous sites become battlefields, the consequences for millions of people and for the environment can be catastrophic and last for many years,” he said.
The head of the ICRC warned that “in the event of a nuclear leak, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to provide humanitarian aid”.
The IAEA wants to establish a “permanent” presence in the Zaporijjia plant to avoid a possible nuclear disaster, according to its chief Rafael Grossi, who is leading the expert mission.