(Rosatom): Ukrainian attacks around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant bring the region closer to a "nuclear disaster"

Moscow, July 6 (KUNA) -- The Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom warned on Monday that attacks around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant have brought the region to the brink of a disaster with regional implications. It announced that an upcoming meeting would bring together a Russian delegation and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi in the Russian city of Kaliningrad to discuss developments at the plant, as well as issues related to Iran’s nuclear program and nuclear cooperation with several countries.

Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said in a press statement that the Russian delegation would present facts and data regarding the attacks that Moscow claims Ukraine launched against the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the city of Enerhodar. He also said the delegation would raise the issue of what he described as the “intimidation and psychological pressure” endured by plant staff and city residents.

Likhachev added that Russia would also discuss with the IAEA Ukraine’s continued failure to operate the Dniprovska power transmission line dedicated to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, considering this file one of the important technical issues linked to the plant’s future.

Likhachev warned that the security situation surrounding the plant “is one step away from a disaster and an incident with regional dimensions,” noting that Ukrainian forces attacked the fire department in Enerhodar last week, which is responsible for providing protection for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. He said that the recurrence of attacks exacerbates risks to the safety of nuclear facilities.

He pointed out that the Russian nuclear energy sector has been generally affected by the recent attacks, explaining that drones were spotted flying around the Leningrad and Smolensk nuclear power plants last night. He added that the cooling tower of the second power unit under construction at the Kursk-2 Nuclear Power Plant was targeted by a drone attack.

On the Iranian file, Likhachev said that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant would be on the agenda of the Russian talks with the IAEA in Kaliningrad, and he suggested that Rosatom would play a specific role in any settlement related to Iran’s nuclear program. He added that if security calm continues at the Bushehr plant, the corporation would begin redeploying its staff to the site starting from mid-July.

Regarding international nuclear cooperation, he confirmed that construction work on the Paks II Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary, with Russian participation, is progressing according to the established plans. He clarified that the project is fully funded until 2026, and that Rosatom has sent a request to the new Hungarian government to clarify certain technical standards related to the project, and is awaiting a response, emphasizing the corporation’s commitment to implementing the project in accordance with previous agreements with Budapest.

Likhachev also announced that Rosatom has proposed to Armenia the construction of a large or medium-sized nuclear power plant to meet the country’s electricity needs for the coming decades. Meanwhile, he expected Russia and Belarus to sign the final agreements for the construction of the third unit of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant in the coming months.

The upcoming meeting between Russia and the IAEA comes within the framework of periodic consultations between the two sides on the safety of nuclear facilities, particularly the Zaporizhzhia plant, which the IAEA continues to emphasize the importance of upholding nuclear safety and security principles and avoiding any military actions that could endanger it. The agency continues to deploy its experts to the site and monitor field developments. (End) D.A.N. / A.B.G.