The international organization must assess the security situation of the largest atomic site in Europe, target of bombings.
After weeks of negotiations, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived early Thursday afternoon at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. The mission of 14 experts, led by the head of the organization, Rafael Grossi, was to analyze the operating conditions of what is the most important atomic site in Europe. “We were able, during these few hours, to gather a lot of information. I saw the main things I needed to see,” he said as he left the scene according to Russian media accompanying him. However, part of the delegation was still there. “The IAEA remains”, said Rafael Grossi, considering that the “physical integrityof the plant had beenraped».
Until the end, the start of the inspection operations remained uncertain, kyiv and Moscow accusing each other, as for weeks, of military conduct. A reactor in Zaporizhia has been shut down due to Russian bombing, Ukrainian nuclear power plant operator Energoatom said on Thursday that one of the plant’s six reactors continues to operate.
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The state agency Energoatom continues to manage this plant, which came under the control of the Russian army in early March. The vast majority of its 11,000 employees are still on site. Russian engineers have neither the skills nor the means to run the site on their own, which was certainly built by the Soviets, but has been largely modernized with Western techniques since 1991.
On Thursday, Ukrainian authorities accused Russia of carrying out artillery strikes on Enerhodar, as well as the route the inspectors were to use. Russia has asserted, without providing any evidence, that “Ukrainian commandos (…) tried to take the plant”.
500 Russian soldiers on site
Only certainty, the Russian troops use the site of the power station to store military vehicles there. Satellite photos show trucks parked, especially near reactor number 1. At least 500 Russian soldiers would be installed there, officially to ensure its security. In Kyiv, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross called for a halt to all military operations around the plant, warning that an attack would “catastrophic”. “It is high time to stop playing with fire and instead take concrete measures to protect this site”, said Robert Mardini. “The slightest miscalculation could wreak havoc that we would regret for decades.”
The slightest miscalculation could wreak havoc we’ll regret for decades
Robert Mardini, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross
The duration of the IAEA mission raises questions. The international organization envisages a work of several days, at least three, on the spot. Experts also hope to be able to leave a monitoring group in place. An anonymous Ukrainian source, however, feared on Thursday that “the mission is shorter than expected”.
The long-term objective of the international organization is to obtain that the plant be placed under a neutral status allowing its complete security to be ensured. An option that Moscow refuses while kyiv asks to regain complete control. For the director of Energoatom, the mission will be a success if it obtains a demilitarization of Zaporijjia.