Fear of a nuclear accident hangs over Ukraine. The Zaporijjia plant, occupied by the Russian army since the beginning of March, has been in the grip of bombardments since the beginning of August, of which Russia and Ukraine mutually accuse each other. Visiting Ukraine on Thursday August 18, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned of the situation. These strikes create a risk of “massive disaster”also warned Friday, August 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin during a telephone interview with Emmanuel Macron.
Ukraine denounces “Russian blackmail”
With each new strike, Moscow and kyiv blame each other. Thus, Ukraine assures that the Russian forces fire themselves on the power plant they occupy in order to accuse kyiv of these bombardments. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced, on Saturday August 13, a “Russian blackmail” around the site. He accuses Moscow of using the plant as an attack base so that the Ukrainian army cannot retaliate and asks “new sanctions against Russia” in order to “block the Russian nuclear industry”.
Ukraine also accuses Moscow of storing heavy weapons at the nuclear site. The boss of the Ukrainian nuclear operator Energoatom, Petro Kotin, estimated that up to 500 Russian soldiers, as well as about fifty military vehicles including armored vehicles and tanks are at the plant. “The worst thing is that for the last two or three weeks they have placed these vehicles in the engine room of Units 1 and 2”where the electricity is produced, said Petro Kotine, former director of this installation.
Uncertainty reigns and the multiplication of bombardments worries the Ukrainian authorities who say they expect “all scenarios”. First aid workers prepare their safety devices and organize first aid exercises in the event of a nuclear accident. “As long as Russia controls the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, there are big risks”warned the Ukrainian Minister of the Interior on Wednesday.
Russia says it wants to “ensure the security of the plant”
“We emphasize that the Russian troops do not have heavy weapons in the compound of the plant and in the surrounding areas”, responds the Russian Ministry of Defense to the accusations of kyiv. The Russian armed forces would be there to “ensuring the safety of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant”, continues the ministry. Regarding the accusations of bombing, Russia denounces a set up. She maintains that Ukraine is hitting the plant in order to blame Moscow.
The town of Energodar, near the plant, is the target of bombardments, according to the pro-Russian official in the region, Vladimir Rogov. The administrator charged the Ukrainian forces on Saturday August 13: “Energodar and the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant are again under fire from militants [du président ukrainien Volodymyr] Zelensky.”
On the occasion of the visit to Ukraine by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Moscow also accuses kyiv of wanting to prepare “a resounding provocation” on the spot. According to Moscow, Ukrainian artillery units plan to fire on the plant and then accuse Russia of causing a nuclear accident.
The international community wants a demilitarized zone
These tensions are worrying well beyond the borders of Ukraine. The UN Secretary General and the Turkish President were visiting Ukraine on Thursday August 18 for a trilateral meeting in Lviv with the Ukrainian President. The situation in Zaporijjia was at the heart of the discussions. “We have to tell it like it is: any potential damage to Zaporizhia would be suicide”alerted Antonio Guterres who said to himself “seriously concerned”. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed alarm at the danger of a “new Chernobyl”.
“As we continue our efforts for a solution, we have been and continue to be on the side of our Ukrainian friends.“, affirmed the Turkish president. President Zelensky estimated Thursday that the visit to Lviv of Recep Tayyip Erdogan was a “powerful message of support” for his country.
To guarantee the security of the site and allow an inspection mission, Antonio Guterres and the United States are calling for the establishment of a demilitarized zone around the plant. For his part, the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kouleba, announced on Twitter that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, told him to be “ready” to go to the plant at the head of a delegation.