IAEA seeks visit to Ukraine's shelled Zaporizhzhya plant
12 Aug 2022 10:57am
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres - AFP Photo
Rafael Grossi told the United Nations (UN) Security Council that there was no immediate threat to the safety of the nuclear site based on a preliminary assessment but warned that this could change at any moment.
Europe's largest nuclear site has been shelled several times, raising concerns about a nuclear disaster.
Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of the attacks on the nuclear facility.
Russia is currently in control of the facility after seizing it and surrounding areas in March from Ukraine.
Grossi said he was ready to lead a team of experts to assess the physical damage to the facility.
''The IAEA must be allowed to conduct its mission as soon as possible,'' he added.
Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an end to all military activities immediately in and around the nuclear plant, warning that further worrying incidents could lead to disaster.
Russia, which requested the emergency meeting of the Security Council, put the blame again on Ukraine for the recent attacks while Western countries called for the full return of the nuclear plant to Ukraine.
United States Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins said that Washington supports Ukraine's proposal to create a demilitarised zone around the Zaporizhzhya plant.
Russia took control of the facility on March 4, roughly two weeks after beginning its offensive against Ukraine. - BERNAMA
