Situation Around Zaporizhzhia Plant Remains Unsafe – Zelensky
On Friday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the situation across the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility remained dangerous after the facility resumed electricity supplies to Ukraine following an outage
On Friday, Ukraine’s President Zelensky said the situation across the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility remained risky after the facility resumed power supplies to the country following an outage. During an evening address, the president stated that any actions by Russian troops that could drive the halt of the reactors would once again put the plant one step behind from disaster.
Zelensky stated that the situation across the nuclear facility remained dangerous after the facility resumed electricity supplies to Ukraine following an outage. During his evening address, the president said that any actions by Russians that could led the closure of the reactors pic.twitter.com/s8JbEYvXfd
Officials started distributing iodine tablets to nearby residents near the plant Friday in case of radiation lead, amid growing concerns that the battle across the facility could trigger a disaster. The move came one day after the nuclear complex was temporarily shut down due to the fire that damaged the transmission line. Moreover, the event intensified fear of an atomic catastrophe in a country still terrified amid the Chernobyl 1986 nuclear explosion.
Iodine tablets can resist the absorption of radioactive iodine by the thyroid gland in a likely nuclear accident. The officials at the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia issued the tablets to the residents. Furthermore, the United Nations atomic agency has been trying to send an inspection team to examine and secure the nuclear plant. However, their time frame is unclear, and officials are preparing for the visit.
The authorities reported continued shelling in the area overnight over the last some days. Moscow and Kyiv blamed each other for Thursday’s shelling of the site, which damaged the transmission line. Still, it is not clear what went wrong exactly at the nuclear site, but Zelensky said that the operators activated emergency backup diesel generators to operate the complex. The atomic complex requires electricity to run the cooling systems of the reactors. However, the loss of cooling could lead to a nuclear meltdown.
IAEA Visit
Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, said that a visit by the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should occur as early as possible. Additionally, he warned that civilian atomic power must not be an instrument of war. However, an adviser to the Ukrainian energy minister, Lana Zerkal, told Ukrainian news agencies that the logistics for the international agency’s visit were still being worked out.
Situation Across Zaporizhzhia Facility Remains Unsafe – President Zelensky Source: Web
Thick, reinforced concrete containment domes protected the reactors at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Dnipropetrovsk Governor Valentyn Reznichenko said that continuous shelling of Nikopol damaged ten houses, a health care facility, and a school but caused no injuries. Additionally, the satellite images from Planet Labs showed fires burning around the nuclear plant over the last some days.
In February, the Russian military attacked Ukraine and took control of the nuclear complex in the next month of invasion. However, Ukrainian nuclear technicians are operating the plant. Western leaders demanded that Moscow return the atomic plant to Ukrainian officials. On the other hand, the United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres asked to demilitarize the plant.
On Friday, the Ukrainian president retaliated against the Ukrainian demand that Russian should give IAEA immediate access to visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, told the press on Thursday that Moscow should agree to the demilitarized zone across the nuclear plant and permit the international agency IAEA to visit immediately to review the security and safety of the system.
