War in Ukraine: escalating tensions threaten Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

Ukraine on Wednesday (July 5th) called on the international community to take "immediate measures" in the face of the risks at the Zaporizhzhia plant, controlled by Russia, while both sides accuse each other of imminent provocation. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry announced that Russia had installed fortifications on at least three reactors and placed explosives on the plant, calling on the international community to respond.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in October 2022. © Anissa El Jabri / RFI

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At first glance, do not panic in the city of Zaporizhjia, where the inhabitants seem to go about their daily business, even if it seems that here or there some people have started to stock up in supermarkets, if the situation were to deteriorate suddenly, explains our special envoy on the spot, Stéphane Siohan.

On Wednesday, the governor of Zaporizhzhia, Yuriy Malashko, met in his office, wanted to be absolutely rational on a situation that is basically not at all. The governor confirmed that he has information that the Russians have trapped the plant, but he wanted to be reassuring about the water level in the cooling basin, according to him sufficient to ward off for the moment a worst-case scenario.

Unpredictable behavior of Russians, according to Ukrainians

Yuriy Malashko insisted that Energodar is not Chernobyl, that the facilities there are much more modern and solid. The only problem, according to him, is that after the explosion of the Nova Kakhovka dam, the behavior of the Russians is unpredictable, and he estimates at 50% the probability of an incident at the nuclear power plant. Between the exploded dam, and this toxic climate around the plant, he admits that some of the inhabitants decided to go for shelter, as a precaution, without there being a mass exodus.

Meanwhile, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant say they have not seen any traces of mines or explosives at the Russian-controlled site, but they would need expanded access to be certain.

On the Moscow side, an adviser to the Russian nuclear giant Rosatom, Renat Karchaa, accused Kiev of preparing an "attack" on the plant. "Today we received information that I am authorized to reveal. On July 5, during the night, in the dark, the Ukrainian army will try to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," Karchaa told Russian television.

(

And with AFP)

Read alsoReport - Explosion of the Nova Kakhovka dam: "Here, it's like Chernobyl"

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• Ukraine
• Energies
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