The Ukrainian authorities have confirmed this Friday that the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, is under the control of Russia, days after a series of bombings had been registered in the surroundings of the facilities.
The Ukrainian Minister of the Interior, Denis Monastirski, has indicated that they can now state “absolutely responsibly” that there is no adequate control over the actions of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
“In reality, it is not only in the hands of the enemy, but also in the hands of untrained specialists who can really cause a tragedy,” Monastirski warned at a press conference, according to the Ukrainian agency Ukrinform.
“The Ukrainian specialists who remained there are not allowed to enter the areas where they should be. The Russian military equipment is located on the grounds of the plant. All this has been evaluated with the highest level of threat,” he stressed. .
Monastirski has made it known that Ukraine has requested the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to guarantee the security and adequate control of the facilities while Russia remains in place, since he considers that it is “hard to imagine the tragedy that could occur if the Russians are still there.
“We have all seen the bombardment carried out by the Russian troops (…). It is terrible. (…). They are ready for any action, despite the consequences”, so “we must prepare for any scenario”, the minister said.
This week, the Ukrainian authorities reported “some damage” to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, after a bombardment over the region, although without influencing the radiation in the area, as kyiv clarified to the International Atomic Energy Agency. (IAEA).
