KYIV, Sept 6 (Reuters) – Blasts rang out and power was cut in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city housing Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant on Tuesday, hours before a report by the United Nations nuclear watchdog that could shed light on the threat of catastrophe.
Both warring countries accuse each other of risking a nuclear disaster by shelling the Zaporizhzhia plant, which invading Russian forces seized early in the conflict but which is still operated by Ukrainian technicians.
It is located at the frontline on a Russian-held bank of a reservoir and across the water from Ukrainian-held positions.
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Dmytro Orlov, the Ukrainian mayor of the surrounding city of Enerhodar who operates from outside Russian-held territory, said on social media that a powerful explosion had rung out shortly after noon. Residents were left without power or water.
Moscow repeated its longstanding accusations that Ukrainian forces had been shelling the plant.
Kyiv says it is Russia that has been staging such incidents, to undermine international support for Ukraine and as a possible pretext to cut the plant from the Ukrainian power grid and steal its output. Russia has so far spurned international pleas to pull its forces back from the site and demilitarise the area.
The hotly anticipated report by the International Atomic Energy Agency follows a fact-finding mission to the plant last week, led by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, who braved shelling to cross the frontline and reach it. Two IAEA experts have stayed behind to keep a long-term presence there.
It was not clear whether the IAEA report would ascribe blame for incidents there. After crossing back into Ukrainian-held territory, Grossi said there was evidence of damage but he stopped short of pointing fingers, although he later retweeted remarks from EU Council President Charles Michel, who said: “Russia has put the world in danger”.
Grossi is expected to brief the U.N. Security Council in New York on his findings later on Tuesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday warned of a near “radiation catastrophe” at the plant and said Russia’s shelling of it showed Moscow “does not care what the IAEA will say”.
He was speaking after IAEA officials, citing information supplied by Ukraine, said the sole remaining reactor had gone offline after the plant’s backup power line had been cut to extinguish a fire.
They said the line itself had not been damaged and would be reconnected and that the plant had enough electricity to operate safely. The reactor would be reconnected to the grid once backup power was restored.
Russia’s diplomatic mission to international organizations in Vienna, where the IAEA is based, said on Telegram that three Ukrainian shells had landed near the plant’s fuel storage unit, solid radioactive waste storage and near one of the power units.
It published images of shell impacts to back its assertion. Reuters could not verify either side’s claims.
MISSILE STRIKES
Thousands of people have died and millions have fled Ukraine since Russia lauched what it calls a special military operation in February saying it aimed to demilitarise its neighbour. Kyiv and the West call it a brazen war of conquest.
The past week has seen the focus of fighting shift to the south, where Ukraine has started a long-awaited counter-attack to recapture territory seized early in the war.
Little information has emerged about…
Read More: Power cut after blasts near Ukraine nuclear plant, IAEA report awaited