To ensure the safety of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, a team of experts from the IAEA = International Atomic Energy Agency began investigating the nuclear power plant on the 1st.
The investigation is expected to continue until the 3rd, but the focus is on whether the investigation can proceed smoothly as shelling continues day after day in the nuclear power plant and surrounding areas.
At the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, which is controlled by the Russian military, there is growing concern that a series of shellings have damaged some facilities and could lead to a serious accident.
A team of IAEA experts led by Director-General Grossi, who entered Ukraine to ensure safety, arrived at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant on the 1st and began an investigation.
Director-General Grossi said in a meeting with nuclear power plant administrators, "Preventing a nuclear accident is our primary objective, and we will do everything possible to find consensus among all parties involved."
Officials from the Russian state-owned nuclear power company Rosatom also accompanied the investigation. I was able to see things," he said.
He then said, ``The most important thing is to have IAEA experts permanently stationed at the nuclear power plant,'' reaffirming his view that it is necessary to have a permanent presence at the nuclear power plant to grasp the current situation.
On the other hand, the nuclear power plant and surrounding areas are believed to have been bombarded and battled one after another for a day, and the Ukrainian nuclear power company "Energoatom" said, "There was an artillery bombardment by the Russian army, and the safety device was activated and Unit 5 stopped." announced that one of its two operating nuclear reactors had been shut down by a Russian attack.
In response, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed on the 1st that ``Ukrainian military operatives are trying to recapture the nuclear power plant.The plan was to use Director General Grossi and IAEA experts as ``human shields''. .
According to "Energoatom" and other sources, Secretary-General Grossi and some IAEA experts left the nuclear power plant after staying for several hours, and the remaining experts planned to conduct an investigation until the 3rd, amidst a tense situation. The focus is on whether the investigation can be carried out smoothly.
Expert “There is a risk of serious accidents”
Dr. Mark Zheleznyak, a researcher at the Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, who has been researching nuclear safety in Ukraine for many years, first spoke about the dangers of an accident at the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, saying, "Nuclear facilities were attacked, external power sources "If we lose power, we will not be able to cool down the reactor and spent nuclear fuel, which could lead to a major accident."
In addition, he expressed concern that in a harsh environment where fighting continues, ``There is a risk that operators working at nuclear power plants will make human errors due to fatigue and stress, leading to serious accidents.''
Regarding ensuring the safety of residents in the surrounding area, he said, "In the event of a nuclear power plant accident, there is absolutely no prospect of who will take the lead in evacuating. It will be extremely difficult to evacuate residents appropriately." was talking
Furthermore, regarding the IAEA team of experts starting an investigation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, he said, "I don't think the IAEA investigation will prompt the withdrawal of Russian troops, but from a professional point of view, it will convey the critical situation to the world. I want you," he emphasized.