‘INTEGRITY OF UKRAINE’S RUSSIA-HELD NUCLEAR PLANT VIOLATED’

On Thursday, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said that the physical integrity of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in southeastern Ukraine has been “violated”. 

A fourteen-membered team of the IAEA arrived in Ukraine on Wednesday to inspect for damage, reported CNN.

“I worry, and I will continue to worry about the plant until we have a situation that is more stable, that is more predictable.

“It is obvious that the plant and the physical integrity of the plant have been violated several times by chance [and] by deliberation,” Grossi told reporters after his visit to the plant. “Wherever you stand, whatever you think about this war, This is something that cannot happen and this is why we are trying to put in place certain mechanisms and the presence, “he said, as quoted by CNN. 

Grossi’s remarks come as Ukraine accused Russian forces of trying to disrupt the IAEA visit to the nuclear plant by shelling in the city of Enerhodar near the facility early Thursday. 

He also said that the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog is “not going anywhere” and will have a “continued presence” at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. 

“We are not going anywhere. The IAEA is now there at the plant, and it’s not moving.

It’s going to stay there. “We’re going to have a continued presence there at the plant,” Grossi said while speaking to reporters following a visit to the plant. 

Meanwhile, a member of the central council of the regional administration Vladimir Rogov said that a Ukrainian sabotage group was plotting a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP) during the visit of the IAEA expert mission to show that Russia is unable to provide security, Sputnik reported on Wednesday citing sources. 

The nuclear power plant is the largest plant in Europe.