The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has raised concerns about the safety of a nuclear power plant controlled by Russia near the front lines in Ukraine.
The governor of the region, who Moscow selected, ordered the evacuation of the city where most of the plant's employees reside, leading to fears of a potential radioactive leak.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has been requesting Russian and Ukrainian leaders to establish a security perimeter around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to prevent the Russia-Ukraine war from impacting the facility, according to AP News.
The continuous shelling and fire resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war, which is close to the largest nuclear facility in Europe and the seized city of Enerhodar, have raised concerns.
As Ukraine prepares for a counteroffensive to retake the territory acquired by Russia, the situation is worsening. According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, residents are being relocated to neighboring towns that are also occupied by Russian forces.
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IAEA chief Grossi emphasized the need to protect the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is twice the size of Chernobyl. He stated that IAEA experts regularly hear shelling at the site, per NBC News.
The exiled mayor of Enerhodar, Dmytro Orlov, claims that Russian soldiers are causing gasoline shortages and ATM limitations by creating fear through recent evacuation announcements.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Damaged
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant had previously received safety alerts from the IAEA, and intermittent power outages due to shelling resulted in the IAEA issuing a warning about the plant's safety.
After electricity lines were damaged, the group issued another warning in March about the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant's use of diesel generators to maintain crucial cooling systems.
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the number of employees in the energy facility has decreased. However, the IAEA has confirmed that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant administration assures that there are still enough people working there to ensure safe operations, as per a report from the BBC.
Although the Zaporizhzhia region is primarily under Russian administration, the area's capital, Zaporizhzhia, which is located near the Dnipro reservoir northeast of Enerhodar, is still under Ukrainian authority.
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