WASHINGTON, Aug 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States supports calls by the United Nations and others to establish a demilitarized zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, now occupied by Russian forces, the
State Department said.
“We continue to call on Russia to cease all military operations at or near Ukrainian nuclear facilities and return full control to Ukraine, and support Ukrainian calls for a demilitarized zone around the nuclear power plant,” said
a State Department spokesperson.
UN secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier on Thursday called for an immediate end to military activity near the facility, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
More shelling of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been reported, with Ukraine and Russia again blaming each other for the attack.
Each side said there were 10 hits on the office and fire station of Europe’s biggest power plant on Thursday.
The UN Security Council is meeting to discuss the situation – with the head of its nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, warning it was a “grave hour”.
Ukraine has warned that Russia may provoke the world’s worst nuclear accident at the plant, which was seized by Russia in early March.
On Wednesday, foreign ministers from the G7 group of industrialised nations said Russia must immediately hand back control of the plant to Kyiv.
The facility and its surrounding area in central-eastern Ukraine saw shelling last week, with Russia and Ukraine also accusing each other over that attack.
Ukraine says Russia has turned the site into a military base, launching attacks from there, knowing that Ukrainian forces are unlikely to retaliate.
Moscow denies the claim.
In a statement on Thursday, Ukraine’s nuclear agency Enerhoatom said that “Russian invaders again shelled the Zaporizhzhia plant and territories near the nuclear facility”.
It said an administrative office near the welding area was hit and several radiation sensors were damaged. There was a small fire on some nearby grass, but no injuries.
Enerhoatom added that the fire station located near the plant was also targeted.
Because of the shelling, it was impossible to change the personnel after their shift, so they had to continue work overtime.
But the situation was currently under control, Enerhoatom said.
Russian-installed officials issued a mirroring statement, accusing Ukraine of carrying out the shelling.
They said Ukrainian forces were using multiple-launch rocket systems and heavy artillery. The claims by each of the side have not been independently verified.
Speaking at a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York City on Thursday, Grossi again called for his International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to be allowed in to inspect the plant.
“This is a serious hour, a grave hour and the IAEA must be allowed to conduct its mission to Zaporizhzhia as soon as possible,” he said.
The Zaporizhzhia plant is in the city of Enerhodar, in the south-east of Ukraine along the left bank of the River Dnieper (Dnipro in Ukrainian).
It consists of six pressurised water reactors and stores radioactive waste.
After seizing the complex, Russia kept its Ukrainian employees.
So far, UN nuclear watchdog officials have been unable to inspect the plant. — NNN-AGENCIES
