Ukraine says Russia deployed military equipment, explosives at Zaporizhzhia NPP

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) say Russia deployed military equipment and explosives near a reactor at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), Ukraine has claimed.

“The new criminal actions of the Russian occupiers are another step that causes significant damage to the nuclear and radiation safety of the nuclear facilities located at the industrial site of the Zaporizhzhia NPP," Ukraine’s nuclear safety agency State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate said on Wednesday.

"Inadequate decisions and actions of the Russian military endanger both the personnel of the nuclear plant and the residents of nearby settlements."

Sharing that the information was revealed during a meeting between the IAEA and the Ukrainian nuclear agency on Tuesday, the statement said it also received information, through “unofficial channels,” about the storage of such equipment and explosives in other areas of the plant.

“We emphasize once again that in the event of an emergency situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP with a potentially possible release of radioactive substances into the environment, the consequences will be felt not only by Ukraine - they will have a cross-border nature,” it added.

Kyiv called on the international community for “a consolidated and decisive response to the actions of the aggressor country, the application of tough sanctions against Russian nuclear industry enterprises and persons affiliated with them.”

“We emphasize that the Russian Federation should be deprived of all rights and privileges in the IAEA and other international institutions in the field of nuclear energy use,” it said.

Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest and one of the world’s 10 biggest nuclear power plants, has been under Russian control since March last year, soon after the start of the Ukraine war. Fears of a nuclear catastrophe persist amid claims of shelling around the area.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Zaporizhzhia is one of the four Ukrainian regions Russia annexed last year besides Donetsk, Kherson and Luhansk.