UN watchdog proposes safety and security protection zone at Ukraine nuclear plant

By Betul Yuruk

UNITED NATIONS (AA) - The UN nuclear watchdog proposed on Tuesday a safety and security protection zone at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia power plant.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi briefed the UN Security Council on his report after an inspection team visited the nuclear facility last week amid recent shelling.

“The hits that this facility has received and that I could personally see and assess together with my experts is simply unacceptable," he said. "We are playing with fire and something very catastrophic could take place. This is why, in our report, we are proposing the establishment of a nuclear safety and security protection zone limited to the perimeter and the plant itself."

Russia took control of the facility on March 4, two weeks after beginning its offensive against Ukraine.

Europe's largest nuclear power plant has been shelled several times, raising concerns of a nuclear disaster. Both Moscow and Kyiv accuse each other of attacks at the nuclear facility.

The IAEA report said Ukrainian staff was operating under "constant high stress and pressure," adding that it is not sustainable and could lead to increased human error with implications for nuclear safety.

The UN's nuclear watchdog inspected the facility with a team of experts last week including its director general, and two inspectors will remain there permanently to ensure the facility’s safety.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Russian forces to withdraw all military personnel and equipment from that perimeter and Ukrainian forces not to move into it.