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The United Nations nuclear watchdog warned Friday that Russian troops are putting “incredible pressure” on workers at Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant.
Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on March 4 and have since allowed Ukrainian plant operators to manage the site, but under extreme conditions.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team members unload suitcases of equipment as they arrive at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) did not release details of how Ukrainian plant officials were treated, but said working conditions were “extremely stressful and challenging”.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said Ukraine’s nuclear specialists “continue to fulfill their duties and ensure the safety of nuclear facilities as much as possible during the war”.
However, the agency noted that “the morale and emotional state” of Zaporizhia power plant employees was “very low.”
Zaporizhzhia, located in south-eastern Ukraine, has increasingly been drawn into positions by Russian forces trying to gain “complete control” of the neighboring Donbass region.
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency speaks to journalists as he arrives with an IAEA team at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine, Tuesday April 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Ukrainian officials warned last week that Russia is seeking a referendum on the annexation of occupied territories in Zaporizhia and Kherson, located south of the nuclear power plant on the Dnipro River.
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Russian forces have reportedly called in personnel from Russia’s state-owned nuclear company Rosatom, which is demanding daily reports from Ukrainian plant operators on “confidential matters” about the nuclear power plant’s operation.
Grossi, who traveled to Ukraine in March amid heightened security threats, said the situation in Zaporizhia “remains challenging and requires continued attention”.
The IAEA chief warned that the “situation will become unsustainable” and on Friday suggested leading a team to the nuclear power plant at “the earliest possible time”.
Grossi visited the Chernobyl nuclear power plant earlier this week after it was occupied by Russian forces for 35 days.
Decorated soldiers of Ukraine’s National Guard and members of the State Emergency Service observe a moment of silence during a ceremony commemorating the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster at the Monument to Those Who Saved the World in Chernobyl, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 26, 2022. ( AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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Since the withdrawal of Russian troops from the notorious site of the world’s largest nuclear disaster, alarming reports have surfaced reflecting a disregard for nuclear safety by Russian soldiers.
The IAEA said on Friday that long-distance transmission of data from the Chernobyl facility to its headquarters in Vienna is slowly being restored.