Day 191: Physical Integrity of Nuclear Power Plant 'Violated Several Times,' IAEA Head Says as Inspections Continue
Facts
- After a long-anticipated visit from a delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the Russia-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in southern Ukraine, IAEA head Rafael Grossi said: "It is obvious that the plant and physical integrity of the plant has been violated several times." He also added that he remains worried about the safety of the facility.
- Grossi said his 14-member team were able to tour the plant for four or five hours on Thurs., and explained that a number of them would stay at the facility "until Sunday or Monday, continuing with the assessment." Russian media later confirmed that eight inspectors from the IAEA remained at the ZNPP, with four additional support staff accompanying them. Additional reports suggested that two members of the delegation might remain on a permanent basis, a move that is supported by Russia.
- While no complaints were lodged against Russia by Grossi, who has confirmed that an IAEA report will be produced following the visit, the Ukrainian state-owned energy company Energoatom accused Russian forces of manipulating the IAEA and distorting the situation to make it seem more favorable to Russia. "Russian occupiers are making every effort to prevent the IAEA mission from getting to know the real state of affairs at the ZNPP," the company said in a statement.
- Meanwhile, in his nightly address on Thurs., Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy repeated calls for the ZNPP to be demilitarized, adding that full control of the plant should be returned to Ukraine. Zelenskyy said: "It is bad that we have not yet heard the appropriate calls from the IAEA. Although we talked about it with Mr Grossi at our meeting in Kyiv." Zelenskyy further repeated the demands in a talk with Italian lawmakers on Friday.
- On the ground, as Ukraine's southern counteroffensive continued, its armed forces reportedly struck an ammunition depot and an unspecified military target in the Russian-controlled city of Melitopol in the early hours of Friday. A number of blasts were also reported in the Russian-controlled city of Kherson, though Russian sources alleged it was the activation of missile defense systems.
- Russia, meanwhile, continued to shell the regions of Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk, where one civilian was reported injured. In Donetsk, where heavy fighting and artillery fire continued across the region, Ukrainian officials reported that at least four civilians had been killed while 10 were injured in Russian shelling. Pro-Russia separatists reported that two civilians had been killed and four more were injured in Ukrainian shelling.See Fewer Facts
Sources: Guardian, Ukrinform, and Pravda.
Narratives
- Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by Ukrinform. Russia will make every effort to distort and manipulate what inspectors from the IAEA are able to see. This is a staged inspection and, under these circumstances, the IAEA will not be able to produce a truly independent assessment of the situation. As such, any report should be treated with skepticism.
- Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by Tass. Russia has done everything in its power to facilitate the visit of IAEA inspectors, including securing their safety amid Ukrainian shelling. Furthermore, Russia insisted on ballistics experts as part of the mission. Soon enough, the world will know who's truly responsible for endangering the nuclear facility.