Evacuation due to risk of nuclear accident at Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine

Ukraine – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned this Saturday, May 6 “Major Nuclear Accident” At the Zaporizhia power plant occupied by Russian forces in Ukraine. The situation is there “Dangerous Potential” The company said the site, where most of its employees live, and the nearby town were being evacuated entirely.

“The situation in the area near the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is becoming unpredictable and dangerous”The agency’s head, Raffaele Croci, was quoted in an IAEA press release as warning. “I am very concerned about the very real risks to the plant in terms of safety and security. We must act now to prevent a serious nuclear accident and its consequences and threat to people and the environment. he added.

The plant, Europe’s largest, has come under fire several times since the conflict began, raising fears of disaster.

Areas of concern are discharges

The agency’s experts on site have been hearing the sound of shelling in the area since late Friday evening. They are monitoring the situation closely Identify potential impact on nuclear safety and securityMr. Croce said.

“This huge reactor must be protected. I will continue to press for all parties to commit to this key objective, and for the IAEA to do everything in its power to ensure nuclear safety and plant safety.He declared.

On Friday, Evguéni Balitski, the regional manager installed by Moscow, announced the partial evacuation of 18 locations under Russian occupation in the Zaporijjia region, particularly in Energodar.

But this raises concerns. Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol, condemned the attack on Telegram on Saturday “evacuation” very fast. Huge queues formed at the Csongar checkpoint on the road from Melitopol to Crimea, he said. Ditto in Dogmak, where queues to buy bread are long, while most gas stations have run out of gas.

These discharges “temporary” According to Yevgeny Polytskyi, parents of children who have faced the proliferation of Ukrainian bombings in recent days are primarily concerned with the elderly and disabled, as well as hospital patients.

The number of workers at the plant is decreasing

Russian authorities plan to evacuate around 70,000 people from areas in the Zaporizhia region, according to Andrei Kozenko, another official of the occupation administration, quoted by TASS.

But there are currently no plans to evacuate staff at the six-reactor nuclear power plant, the site’s director, appointed by Russian authorities, Yuri Ternichuk, announced on Saturday.

Zaporijjia’s manpower has been gradually reduced since the start of the conflict, the IAEA press release describes, and Russian officials say that management of the site is ensured by an adequate number of personnel to ensure the safety of the site.

The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, controlled by the Russian military since March 2022, is located on the banks of the Dnieper River, which separates the two camps in this area.

In mid-April, Raffaele Grossi had already warned “On Borrowed Time” About “Security” of the center. Although the reactors are not operational, the emergency power line they depend on is still operational. “a great danger” According to the same source. The line was damaged on March 1 and had not yet been repaired as of mid-April, the IAEA said.

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