MELITOPOL, May 31. /TASS/. The International Atomic Energy Agency will not directly accuse Ukrainian armed forces of shelling the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), despite IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi’s claims that observers will now track from where attacks against the power plant come from, says Vladimir Rogov, chairman of the ‘We are Together with Russia’ movement.
"This statement is a good one, but, to be honest, I seriously doubt it will be implemented. The IAEA will not directly accuse the UAF of shelling the power plant. […] As long as [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky’s regime is able to do whatever it wants with impunity, under protection from the US, the UK and the collective West in general, not Grossi, and definitely not the IAEA will be able to have any influence here. They will register [shells] landing, but they will say that they come straight from above, essentially. This is the conclusion that will be made, more or less" Rogov believes.
He noted Ukraine’s position regarding the five-point plan for the ZNPP’s security that Grossi proposed to the UN Security Council.
"Ukrainian Permanent Representative to the UN Sergey Kislitsa said that Kiev takes Grossi’s five-point plan into consideration, but, as he said, any serious discussions can only take place once Russia withdraws from the ZNPP," Rogov noted.
After the UN Security Council meeting Wednesday, Grossi announced that IAEA observers will now track military activity at the ZNPP and around it, including the potential militarization of the station and the attacks against it. He explained that the IAEA will immediately report such incidents to the international community, saying this would act as a kind of deterrent in case someone decides to attack the nuclear power plant.
Earlier, Grossi proposed five principles of security of the ZNPP to the UN Security Council: not to allow attacks on the power plant or its territory, not to deploy heavy weapons and forces that could be used for an offensive there, not to endanger the power plant’s own power supply, to ensure protection of all structures and systems that safe operation of the power plant depend on, and not to take any actions that would undermine these principles. Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya stated that Russia has already taken measures in accordance with Grossi’s proposals.
The Zaporozhye NPP is located in Energodar and includes six reactor units with a total power of 6 GWt. It is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. In late February, 2022, the facility was taken under control by Russian forces. Since then, Ukrainian forces have been periodically shelling both residential areas in Energodar and the power plant itself, using drones, heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems.