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Ukraine says that Chernobyl NPP sustained no damage - IAEA

The international organization stressed that it was following the situation in Ukraine

VIENNA, February 24. /TASS/. Ukraine notified the International Atomic Energy Agency that "unidentified armed forces" seized control over the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the station itself sustained no damage, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in a statement on Thursday.

The international organization stressed that it was following the situation in Ukraine with grave concern and is appealing for maximum restraint to avoid any action that may put the country’s nuclear facilities at risk. A Ukrainian regulator earlier notified IAEA that nuclear power plants on the country’s territory operate in a reliable and safe manner.

"Ukraine has informed the IAEA that ‘unidentified armed forces’ have taken control of all facilities of the State Specialized Enterprise Chornobyl NPP, located within the Exclusion Zone. The counterpart added that there had been no casualties nor destruction at the industrial site. Director General Grossi said it is of vital importance that the safe and secure operations of the nuclear facilities in that zone should not be affected or disrupted in any way," IAEA said.

The IAEA chief stressed that the IAEA General Conference - the annual gathering of all the organization’s Member States - adopted a decision in 2009 saying "any armed attack on and threat against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and the Statute of the Agency."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on Thursday morning that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories.

When clarifying the developments unfolding, the Russian Defense Ministry reassured that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, but are limited to surgically striking and incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure. There are no threats whatsoever to the civilian population.