The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi arrived Wednesday at the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia, occupied by Russian forces and whose security is a source of concern for the international community.
This is his second visit to this nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, the largest in Europe, occupied by Russian forces since the start of the war in February 2022. His previous trip dates back to September, since the IAEA has had a team of experts on site.
Mr. Grossi has been consulting for several months with kyiv and Moscow to set up a protection zone around the site, which is regularly hit by strikes and the victim of repeated power cuts, raising fears of a nuclear accident.
An adviser to the management of the Russian operator Rosenergoatom told the Russian news agency Tass on Wednesday that he did not expect a breakthrough in the talks.
“We are far from having the illusion that Grossi’s visit could radically change things,” said Renat Kartchaa, while calling for “maintaining dialogue”.
On Wednesday, Mr. Grossi “must see how the situation has evolved at the Zaporijjia nuclear power plant, speak with the nuclear engineers who operate it”, indicated for his part the Ukrainian operator, Energoatom, announcing the arrival of the official in broadcasting a video of a column of vehicles arriving on site.
” Play with fire “
Ukraine believes that only a Russian withdrawal from the plant would ensure nuclear safety. As for Russia, which refuses any retreat from a territory which it claims annexation, it accuses kyiv of wanting to take back the site by force, in defiance of the risk of disaster.
On March 22, Mr. Grossi had warned that the plant was in a “precarious state”, because, according to the IAEA, the “last emergency power line”, damaged since 1er March, remains “disconnected and under repair”. However, as a last resort, it makes it possible to ensure nuclear safety and security, in particular by cooling the reactors.
The plant depends on electricity supplied by a single main external 750 kV line, and “any damage (to this line) will result in the total loss of all offsite power to the plant”, according to the IAEA.
On March 9, the gigantic power plant was cut off from the Ukrainian electricity grid for 11 hours after a Russian strike. Emergency diesel generators had been switched on to ensure a minimum power supply to the safety systems.
“We are playing with fire,” warned Mr. Grossi.
The head of diplomacy of the European Union Josep Borrell had accused Russia of endangering the security of the entire European continent.
Electricity is essential to run the pumps that circulate water to cool the fuel and avoid an accident like the one in Fukushima, Japan, after the March 2011 tsunami.
Rafael Grossi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited a hydroelectric station together on Monday, responsible for supplying the nuclear power plant.
Russia claims the annexation of the region of Zaporijjia, where the plant is located, and occupies part of it. For several days, it has accused Ukraine of increasing strikes and attacks there.
On Wednesday, the Russian authorities reported bombings in Melitopol, the regional capital of the occupation. According to her, a locomotive depot was hit, without causing any casualties. They also reported power cuts.
War for “a long time”
The strikes were reportedly carried out using HIMARS, an American high-precision mobile rocket launcher system, while the city is located more than 65 kilometers from the front.
For several weeks, speculation has been rife about a possible Ukrainian counter-offensive in the direction of Melitopol, because its capture would cut the land corridor conquered by Russia to connect its territory to Crimea, a peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014.
In order to be able to inflict further defeats on Russia, Ukraine, however, requires longer-range ammunition than that of 80 km which it had until now for the HIMARS, in order to be able to destroy the Russian supply routes.
The United States has promised munitions that can fly 150 km and, according to Moscow, these have already been delivered.
kyiv has not confirmed and claims to need much more Western armaments.
On the diplomatic front, the Kremlin hammered on Wednesday that the “hybrid war” between Russia and the West would last “a long time”, Moscow notably accusing Americans and Europeans of using Ukraine in a conflict by proxy.
Russian diplomacy has also revived its rhetoric of threats against Sweden and Finland, candidates for NATO membership, the Russian ambassador in Stockholm, Viktor Tatarintsev, affirming that these countries would become “legitimate targets”.
Sweden announced on Wednesday the summons of the person concerned.