Kyiv and neighboring countries take proactive measures by distributing “iodine tablets”

An American analyst: The IAEA's visit to Zaporizhia did not dispel fears of a catastrophe

• Moscow and Kiev exchanged accusations of bombing the nuclear plant.

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After the bombing of the Zaporizhia plant, which was controlled by Russia, raised fears that the plant would be damaged that might threaten a nuclear catastrophe similar to the one that occurred in the explosion of the “Chernobyl” reactor, in 1986, the arrival of an inspection crew of the International Atomic Energy Agency did not lead to the station It only alleviates these concerns a little.

"In fact, this is just the beginning of what will be a long process of protecting the site from catastrophe," Adam Lamon, executive editor of the American magazine National Interest, said in a report published by the magazine.

According to IAEA Director Rafael Grossi, who visited the massive complex of six reactors on Sept. 1 as part of a 14-member fact-finding mission, the agency intends to maintain a presence at the plant even though it is an active war zone.

"Let the world know that the International Atomic Energy Agency remains in Zaporizhia," Grossi said, as fierce fighting and heavy bombing continued near the station.

"It is clear that the station and its physical integrity have been violated many times, by accident or on purpose, and we do not have the elements to assess that," Grossi added.

Grossi's comments came before he described how the inspectors were operating amid the sounds of machine guns and bursts of artillery and mortar rounds.

However, Grossi noted that the visit to the site was really productive, as the crew was able to gather a lot of information.

This is a positive step even though there is still much work to be done.

In early August, Grossi warned of very serious repercussions, after fighting broke out and several explosions occurred near the station's switchboard;

As a result, the power was cut off and a reactor unit was disconnected from the electrical network, and firefighters rushed to the scene of the accident.

For more than five months, a small crew of Ukrainian engineers kept two of the plant's six reactors running at gunpoint, while artillery shells penetrated nearby support buildings and wildfires threatened power lines critical to keeping the plant's safety missions going.

radioactive pollutants

Working in a war zone and facing threats of arrest makes it unclear how long the engineers can operate the plant without becoming a danger to themselves and the world, said Lamon, who is also a fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Center for National Interest.

To be sure, any loss of electricity or other people could jeopardize operations and release radioactive pollutants across Ukraine and Eurasia, the victims of which are at the mercy of windy conditions.

As a proactive measure, the authorities in Ukraine distributed iodine tablets to their citizens, to reduce their risk of developing thyroid cancer, while Romania and Moldova stored tablets for distribution to their citizens, as well.

And all this is taking place against a tense geopolitical backdrop.

As IAEA staff and Ukrainian engineers work to prevent a nuclear catastrophe, Russia and Ukraine continue to blame each other for the violence at the plant and weaponize their operations for their own gain.

For example, Ukraine has said that Russia intends to connect the Zaporizhia station to its electricity grid to supply power to the Russian-occupied Crimea.

In late August, the Zaporizhia plant, which provided half of Ukraine's nuclear power and 20% of its electricity, was disconnected from the Ukrainian grid for the first time in its history, forcing Ukrainian engineers to run standby diesel generators to prevent a radiological accident.

Relying on standby generators is not ideal in the best of circumstances, but it is even worse in an active war zone, where keeping them fueled with diesel requires two things: stable supply lines and the necessary security to prevent theft.

Lamon said that if Russia succeeded in linking Zaporizhia to the territories it captured, this would be a strategic victory for Moscow.

Russia has adopted a new strategy of annexing Ukraine piece by piece, and the confiscation of cheap and reliable electricity supplies from the Zaporizhia plant reinforces this goal, and undermines Ukraine's ability to provide services and maintain a modern quality of life for its citizens.

Kyiv's announcement of a counterattack near Kherson, west of Zaporizhia, only indicates how fluid the situation is.

In fact, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on September 1 that it had repelled an attempt by Ukrainian forces to seize the nuclear plant.

Battle site

It is unlikely that this attempt will be the last attack on Zaporizhia.

On Saturday, the Zaporizhia station was once again a site of battle, despite the presence of international inspectors.

Where the plant experienced a cut off from the electricity network again, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The International Atomic Energy Agency clarified late on Saturday that the last main line of the external network was still working, and electricity is now being transmitted via a backup cable.

Yesterday, there were reports of more bombings of the nuclear plant.

The Russian Defense Ministry accused the Ukrainian army of trying and failing to restore the site.

Although the United States has reportedly pleaded with Ukraine to adopt limited policy and territorial objectives in its campaign, US officials have assessed that Kyiv, bolstered by American arms, has a good chance of success.

Lamon concluded his report by saying that the world will now have to wait while Russia and Ukraine fight for sovereignty in the south, hoping that a catastrophe can be avoided.

• 20% of the electricity needs are provided by the Zaporizhia station.

• A small crew of Ukrainian engineers kept two of the plant's six reactors running at gunpoint.

• Lamon said that if Russia succeeds in linking Zaporizhia to the lands it captured, this will be a strategic victory for Moscow.

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