Risk of radioactive leak at Ukraine nuclear plant, operator says
Energoatom cites risks of ‘hydrogen leakage and sputtering of radioactive substances.’
Ukraine’s state energy operator warned there is a risk of a radioactive leak at the country’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant amid shelling by Russian forces.
Russia has “repeatedly shelled” the site, Europe’s biggest nuclear facility, over recent days, the operator, Energoatom, said in a statement on Saturday.
“As a result of periodic shelling, the infrastructure of the station has been damaged, there are risks of hydrogen leakage and sputtering of radioactive substances, and the fire hazard is high,” Energoatom said.
“Due to the presence of the Russian military, their weapons, equipment and explosives at the power plant, there are serious risks for the safe operation” of the nuclear facility, it said.
The Russian Defense Ministry countered that Ukraine had fired shells at the plant.
Energoatom said the Russian military at the power plant are preparing for the arrival of a team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The team from the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog could arrive at the site as early as next week, the New York Times reported. A list of the team’s members seen by newspaper includes the IAEA’s chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, and 13 other experts from mostly neutral countries, according to the report. Neither the U.S. nor Britain is represented on the team, it said.
Meanwhile, Russia blocked an agreement at the UN that was aimed at bolstering the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), reportedly over the wording of a reference to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in the text.
Russia has “repeatedly shelled” the site, Europe’s biggest nuclear facility, over recent days, the operator, Energoatom, said in a statement on Saturday.
“As a result of periodic shelling, the infrastructure of the station has been damaged, there are risks of hydrogen leakage and sputtering of radioactive substances, and the fire hazard is high,” Energoatom said.
“Due to the presence of the Russian military, their weapons, equipment and explosives at the power plant, there are serious risks for the safe operation” of the nuclear facility, it said.
The Russian Defense Ministry countered that Ukraine had fired shells at the plant.
Energoatom said the Russian military at the power plant are preparing for the arrival of a team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The team from the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog could arrive at the site as early as next week, the New York Times reported. A list of the team’s members seen by newspaper includes the IAEA’s chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, and 13 other experts from mostly neutral countries, according to the report. Neither the U.S. nor Britain is represented on the team, it said.
Meanwhile, Russia blocked an agreement at the UN that was aimed at bolstering the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), reportedly over the wording of a reference to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in the text.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
