None of the parties involved in the war in Ukraine is willing to commit to the United Nations plan to prevent a catastrophic nuclear accident at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. Neither Russia nor Ukraine has explicitly committed to complying with the five principles announced by the UN nuclear agency, “to avoid a catastrophic incident”, writes Sky News.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi proposed the pledges to the UN Security Council on Tuesday as part of a months-long effort to protect the Zaporozhye nuclear plant from military activity.
The invaders claimed that they “will do everything they can” to protect the plant they have occupied for over a year, but did not speak explicitly of the principles proposed by Grossi. The Russians also said his proposals were “in line” with measures they had already implemented, despite reports that Putin’s invaders had installed sandbags and other defenses on the nuclear reactor buildings.
Power to the plant was cut several times last year as a result of the bombings. Powering the plant is essential for cooling the reactors and preventing a nuclear disaster.
Ukraine’s UN ambassador, Serghii Kislitsa, said Grossi’s principles “must be supplemented by the demilitarization and full de-occupation of the station” by the invaders.
Among Grossi’s principles are the obligation not to attack or bombard the plant area or at the plant and not to store weapons there. Grossi described the situation in Zaporizhia as “extremely fragile and dangerous,” adding that “military activities continue in the region and may even intensify in the near future.”
“We’re rolling the dice there, and if the situation continues, our luck will run out at some point,” he concluded.
Editor: Adrian Dumitru
