Ukraine accused Russia on Friday of “manipulating” the visit of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, located in southeastern Ukraine and currently under the control of Russian troops. For kyiv, the specialists of the IAEA, a body that integrates the UN system, will have many difficulties in preparing an impartial report on the situation in the plant that is “under constant” attacks.
“The Russian army lies, manipulates and alters reality at the nuclear power plant by spreading -only- information to the IAEA that benefits it”, denounced the state-owned nuclear energy company of Ukraine (Energoatom) through a message posted on the social network Telegram.
According to Energoatom, the presence of Russian military vehicles in the turbine hall (where the reactors are located) “was explained to IAEA experts as ‘chemical defense force’ equipment.”
“The Russians did not allow the mission to enter the plant’s crisis center, where Russian military personnel are present and the IAEA should not see (…) hide the presence of armed Russian invaders,” adds the same text.
The Ukrainian state entity alleged that the Russians who have occupied the nuclear plant since March 4, a few days after the start of the military offensive against Ukraine (on February 24), “blocked cell phone and internet communications” in Energodar , The ubication. where the infrastructure is located, to avoid sending “photos and videos” of the facilities and the “sleeping city”.
The Ukrainian company also said the Russian military limited the presence of “plant operating personnel” during the IAEA experts’ visit.
The organization also said that “most of the journalists” present at the entrance of the nuclear plant were “Russian propagandists” and that the military prevented the entry of Ukrainian and foreign reporters who were not allowed to pass the checkpoints.
Energoatom considers that the mission turned out to be a “planned show” because residents of Energodar, a Russian-occupied town, were present and “complained about the shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
“The occupants lie, modify the facts and evidence about the bombing of the plant, as well as the consequences and damage to the infrastructure of the facilities. Unsurprisingly, they blame the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” Energoatom accused.
“Under these conditions, it is clear that it will be difficult for the IAEA to make an impartial assessment of the situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant,” he said.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said Thursday after the site visit that “it is obvious that the central and physical integrity of the facility has been violated several times, either casually or deliberately.”
“We do not have the elements to make this assessment but it is a reality that we have to recognize. It is something that cannot continue to happen”, which is why the IAEA, said the representative, is “trying to activate certain mechanisms and establish a permanent presence” of some experts from the United Nations agency in the center.
The head of the mission, who visited “three or four key areas that he wanted to personally inspect” – such as nuclear power units, diesel generators and control rooms – and who said he had spoken with workers and residents of Energodar, reiterated that the “IAEA it is in the center and does not leave the place”.
The IAEA experts “will remain (on site) until Sunday or Monday” to deepen the inspection in order to prepare a report, according to Grossi, who will then present the document to the head of the Vienna-based UN agency. .
Without specifying an exact number, the director general of the IAEA indicated that a group of experts will remain at the center.
“Hopefully they can provide me and everyone with an unbiased, neutral and technically sound assessment of what may be going on,” he said.
For its part, Energoatom said Thursday that five IAEA technicians currently remain at the plant.
The head of the pro-Russian provisional administration of Energodar, Alexandr Volga, told Russian state television Rossia-24 today that “at the moment eight people from the IAEA remain at the plant” plus “four others who accompany them.”
Source: TSF
