Nuclear plant ‘completely out of control’ in Russian hands

EUROPE’S largest nuclear plant is ‘completely out of control’ in the hands of Russian troops in Ukraine, the UN’s atomic chief warned yesterday.

The Zaporizhzhia reactor in the south-east of the country was seized by forces early in the conflict.

Now the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said the situation at the plant on the banks of the Dnipro river is getting more perilous by the day – and could lead to a catastrophe. Rafael Grossi has demanded

‘Every principle of safety’s been violated’

access to the site be granted by Russia and Ukraine to ensure that nuclear material is being protected and to prevent a tragedy similar to the Chernobyl disaster of 1986.

The plant’s Ukrainian staff are working under the orders of Russian invaders, causing inevitable tensions. They are said to be forced into working long shifts under the threat of torture. Other reports suggest some have ‘disappeared’.

In a stark warning, Mr Grossi said: ‘Every principle of safety has

been violated one way or the other. We cannot allow that to continue. What is at stake is extremely serious, dangerous and grave.

‘The plant is in a place where active war is ongoing. So I am

pleading with both sides to let this [inspection] mission take place.

‘The situation is completely out of control. The people of Zaporizhzhia and people far from there are relying on all of us to prevent

war from causing a nuclear tragedy. There is a lot of nuclear material to be inspected.’

Should a stray missile land on the nuclear plant and cause an explosion, radioactive material could be released and spread hundreds of miles. There are also concerns that maintenance of the nuclear reactors has ground to a halt and vital parts may have broken down.