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UN team leaves for Zaporizhzhia N-plant inspection

Russia's military took over the plant in early March, but it is still being operated by Ukrainian staff under difficult conditions.

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Vienna: An inspection team from the UN nuclear watchdog is on its way to Ukraine’s embattled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the IAEA chief said.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency said the team was expected to arrive at the plant later this week. “We must protect the safety and security of Ukraine’s and Europe’s biggest nuclear facility,” he tweeted.

The Kremlin had previously signaled that it would only allow international inspectors to visit the complex so the IAEA’s visit will mark an important moment in being able to verify what is happening on the ground.

Ukraine had feared an IAEA mission to Zaporizhzhia would legitimize the Russian occupation of the nuclear plant, before finally backing a visit.
“Almost every day there is a new incident at or near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. We can’t afford to lose any more time,” the IAEA director general said.

The nuclear plant has been occupied by invading Russian troops since March.

Fighting around the facility in Ukraine’s southeast has led to mounting global concern over the safety and security of the site. Ukraine and Russia have accused one another of shelling the area.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Europe was “one step away” from a radiation disaster on Thursday when the plant was briefly disconnected from Ukraine’s power grid and backup generators kicked in to supply it with power, a BBC report said.

Russia’s military took over the plant in early March, but it is still being operated by Ukrainian staff under difficult conditions.

Experts say shelling around the plant is not the main concern, given the plant has thick protection walls. However, cutting the supply of electricity to it is fraught with danger. The loss of the power supply would mean no power for the pumps cooling the hot reactor core and therefore leading to the fuel starting to melt, the BBC added.

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