“I welcome the release of Igor Murachov,” IAEA director Rafael Grossi wrote on the social network Twitter, confirming that Murachov is already “safe and sound” at home.
The director of the Zaporijia nuclear power plant had been detained by a Russian patrol while traveling from the plant to the Russian-controlled city of Ernogodar.
The vehicle carrying the factory director was stopped and he was removed from the car and later driven blindfolded to an unknown destination,” reports from the agency that operates the nuclear unit.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Saturday condemned this “illegal detention”.
“This crime is yet another act of state terrorism by Russia and constitutes a serious violation of international law,” Kuleba said.
The nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, has been occupied by Russian forces since early March, located in the Zaporijia region, one of the Ukrainian territories officially annexed by Moscow.
An IAEA delegation, led by Rafael Grossi, visited the site in early September and two of its inspectors remain at the facility.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on Feb. 24 has already resulted in more than 13 million people having fled — more than six million internally displaced persons and more than 7.4 million to European countries — according to the most recent UN data, which rank this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion – justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security – was condemned by the generality of the international community, which has responded by sending arms to Ukraine and Russia of political and economic sanctions.
Source: DN
