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LAST UPDATE | 11 Aug 2022
THE HEAD OF the UN nuclear watchdog has told the Security Council that the agency must be allowed to inspect Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, saying that fighting near the site has sparked a “grave” crisis.
“This is a serious hour, a grave hour and the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) must be allowed to conduct its mission to Zaporizhzhia as soon as possible,” Rafael Grossi told an emergency meeting of the Security Council via video feed.
The nuclear plant in southern Ukraine is Europe’s largest and has been occupied by Russian troops since March, shortly after Moscow launched its invasion on 24 February.
Their forces have clashed at and around Zaporizhzhia, leading to urgent international calls for an end to fighting around the plant.
And Washington has said it supports calls by the UN and others to establish a demilitarized zone around the plant.
The US State Department’s undersecretary for arms control and international security Bonnie Jenkins supported the idea of an IAEA mission to Ukraine.
“This visit cannot wait any longer,” she told the Council, adding that the only way to ensure nuclear safety would be for Moscow to end its war.
“The United States calls for the Russian Federation to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine’s territory,” Jenkins said. “This would allow for Ukraine to restore the impeccable safety, security, and safeguards performance it upheld for decades at the facility.”
I’ve told #UNSC today that the situation at #Zaporizhzya NPP was alarming. Military actions jeopardizing nuclear safety and security must stop immediately. An @iaeaorg mission would allow us to carry out needed technical activities and provide a stabilizing influence.
— Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) August 11, 2022
But Russia’s UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzya put the blame for the violence around Zaporizhzhia squarely on Ukrainian forces.
“We call on states that support the Kyiv regime to bring their proxies into check to compel them to immediately and once and for all stop attacks on Zaporizhzhia nuclear power to ensure the safe conditions for the conduct of the IAEA mission,” Nebenzya told the Council.
“This is the only way to prevent a major radioactive catastrophe on the European continent, the risk of which is now more real than ever,” Nebenzya added. “If Ukrainian Armed Forces attacks continue, this could take place at any time.”
The two sides have traded blame over a recent escalation in fighting around the nuclear facility, which was captured by Russian forces soon after their invasion.
Russia – a permanent member of the Security Council with veto power – called for the emergency meeting to address the crisis at the complex.
‘React immediately’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the international community to “react immediately” to force Russian forces to leave the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
“The entire world must react immediately to chase out the occupiers from Zaporizhzhia,” Zelenskyy said in his daily video address.
“Only the Russians’ full withdrawal… would guarantee nuclear safety for all of Europe,” he added, condemning “Russian nuclear blackmail”.
Bombardment near the plant also occurred last week, raising the spectre of a nuclear catastrophe in a country which suffered the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.
Ukraine’s nuclear agency Energoatom said today there had been fresh Russian shelling near one of the plant’s six reactors that had caused “extensive smoke” and “several radiation sensors are damaged”.
Vladimir Rogov, a member of the Moscow-installed regional administration, said Ukrainian forces “once again struck” the plant on messaging app Telegram.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres also said in a statement that continued hostilities around the facility could “lead to disaster”.
He urged both sides “to cease immediately” all military activity near the power plant.
‘State sponsor of terrorism’
The Soviet-era plant in southern Ukraine was captured by Russian troops at the beginning of March — shortly after Moscow launched its invasion and has remained on the frontline since then.
“Russia has turned the nuclear station into a battlefield,” Zelenskyy said, addressing a Ukraine donors conference in Copenhagen by video link.
He called for stronger sanctions against Russia saying it was a “terrorist state” — on the same day that Latvian MPs adopted a resolution calling Russia a “state sponsor of terrorism”.
The statement said Russia’s actions in Ukraine constituted “targeted genocide against the Ukrainian people” and said the use of violence against civilians should be considered “terrorism”.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba hailed it as a “timely move” and urged other countries to follow suit, while Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called it “xenophobia”.
Latvia has also urged all EU countries to ban tourist visas for Russian citizens and said the measure should be extended to Belarusians because of the Belarusian regime’s support for the invasion.
‘They will advance’
The fighting meanwhile rumbled on in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed separatists have been fighting against Ukrainian forces since 2014.
In the bombed-out town of Soledar, the few residents left are living in underground shelters.
“We hope for the best, but every day it turns out worse and worse,” said Svitlana Klymenko, 62, as the relentless shelling continued outside.
Another man living in the shelter, 59-year-old Oleg Makeev said: “You can’t cook anything normally here, you can’t wash yourself. How am I supposed to feel?”.
A soldier, 27-year-old Mykhailo, who had the word “Freedom” tattooed over one eye, said the military were also “sitting in the trenches”.
“There is a lot of their artillery, mortars, and we cannot react, we have nothing.”
“They will advance further,” he said. “We hide more than do anything useful.”
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Wonder what that was about? There were some 28 comments and now there are 5 left. In fairness, there were good comments and rebuttals. Did not see a reason to remove 23 of them. I guess that one should just nod and agree with everything.
@George Vladisavljevic: Because a large portion of them were from fake accounts posting misinformation. Pretty simple really. Anytime a Russia article pops up, you get a bunch of accounts from either deleted facebook accounts or twitter accounts with no followers posting Kremlin propaganda. The Journal is right to remove it.
If they want to post on here, then come back with a real account.
@Seán Ó Briain: I’ve had comments removed for being on topic but asking if the government should differentiate between economic migrants from the poorest country in Europe and actual war refugees from the war zone. If the media and internet forums start banning questions it’s only fair to question and criticize at the very least.
Why would Russia shell a power plant under their control, occupied by their own troops?????
@Martin O Connell: it’s says shelling “near” the plant. There are villages and towns near the plant still under Ukrainian control and therefore being targeted by Russian ordinance. The town of Zaporizhzhia itself is under Ukrainian control. A stray shell (from any side) could be disastrous.
@Martin O Connell: Yes they would, don’t think for a minute that they wouldn’t… And lay the blame elsewhere.. their very good at that.
@Diaspora’d: That’s a fair and informative point. There is an issue that its possible that some Ukrainian forces feel that they can do whatever risky things that they want knowing that Russia will be blamed for any disaster.
Isn’t it some screwed up world we live in that sees a situation like this pertain!
Slavs Ukraine.
@jonathan. It’s even better to destroy the aggressor’s airbase hundreds of kilometres behind the lines. Slavs Ukraine.
It’s good to talk
@Jonathan: Careful now. There was an uproar the last time that some suggested talks.
“…Russia’s explanation that a careless smoker might…” Smoking Kills
Put Sabina inside the plant with a draft of her letter and a “Down With This Sort Of Thing” sign. She can set up a nice afternoom tea for the boys’ chat.
@Padraig O Muirthile: what a stupid comment
What’s IKEA got to do with it?
But seriously….what we have is two sides not fighting to win, but fighting with honor. There is no honor in dying. And especially if they bring civilization with them.
@Keth Warsaw: By no measure can Russia be said to be fighting with honour. There is no honour is invading a country, subjecting its civilian population to death, destruction, hunger rape, violence etc.
@Tom Purcell: Are these rape claims just yours or is there an independent source that you can link too?
@Tom Purcell: Well…. I tend to agree with you, but if you read my last few words:.’There is no honor in dying’. It’s basically a protracted civil war with the Ukraine worrying Russia that it will eventually become a NATO neighbour. I mean, come on! What do you expect Russia to do? Roll over? UKRAINE: very naive in thinking their freedom to express itself will have zero ramifications.
And yes, I wish Ukraine peace, prosperity and all, but one has to be real. They should have sued for peace. Now, what will they be left with….oh yes, honor…and…honor. Can one eat honor?
@Tom Purcell: Smiths got a point as regards ‘facts’. A lot of idealistic people on here with a 100% pov. Life isn’t 100% pov, and especially WAR.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, the comment section has now been taken over by Russian trolls. The journal should realize at this stage it’s just been used as a propaganda weapon and shut it down
@David Mulligan: Ukraine are gaining momentum, Russia will be in trouble soon. that’s why the place is full of them
@David Mulligan: yep question a narrative and you’re automatically a Russian bot ffs
@Thommo’s Nose: The “one narrative”. We no longer burn books or info sources, we just remove them. Perhaps the EU needs an information minister like Nazi Germany.
have your say