The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, considered this Sunday that the attacks on the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia were “absolutely deliberate, directed” and described the situation as “extremely serious”.
“A good dozen attacks” hit the plant, according to Grossi, who, without attributing responsibility to Russian or Ukrainian forces, was outraged that there are those who consider a nuclear plant “a legitimate military target,” he said in an interview with Canal. French television station BFMTV.
“Whoever it is, stop this madness”, exhorted Rafael Grossi, who insisted: “Whoever does this knows perfectly well what he intends to achieve. It is absolutely deliberate and directed.”
Russia and Ukraine exchanged accusations over responsibility for the attacks.
“The center is on the front line, there are military activities that are very difficult to identify, there are Russian and Ukrainian personnel in operations,” Grossi said.
The IAEA, which has two inspectors at the center, will carry out an assessment of the damage caused by the attacks.
“There was damage in very sensitive areas,” Grossi added, specifying that the reactors were not affected, but rather the area where the fresh and used fuels are located.
Grossi said he hoped to be able to present the balance on Monday morning, adding that the inspectors could not leave today because the situation is very unstable.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine on February 24, occupies the central territory militarily and Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded its annexation, as well as that of four Ukrainian regions.
For the past few months, Moscow and kyiv have traded accusations about the attack in Zaporizia.
Source: TSF
