Rafael Grossi was quoted as saying that powerful explosions shook an area near Ukraine’s Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant (KhNPP) in the early hours of Wednesday, shattering many windows at the site and temporarily cutting power to some radiation monitoring stations, once again highlighting the dangers to nuclear safety and security during the ongoing military conflict.
Grossi, who is director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Wednesday: “This incident again underlines the extremely precarious nuclear safety situation in Ukraine, which will continue as long as this tragic war goes on."
He added: "The fact that numerous windows at the site were destroyed shows just how close it was. Next time, we may not be so fortunate."
He warned of a risk of nuclear accident, saying that "hitting a nuclear power plant must be avoided at all costs."
The IAEA said that there was no direct impact from the drones on the site in western Ukraine, and the blasts did not affect the plant’s operations or its connection to the national electricity grid.
However, the shockwaves damaged the windows of several buildings at the site, including the passageway to the reactor buildings, according to officials.
The seismic monitoring stations installed in the vicinity of the power plant also recorded the seismic impacts of the blasts, the IAEA added.
The IAEA is an autonomous international organization within the United Nations system that aims to coordinate “all activities related to the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology,” according to the Polish foreign ministry.
The organization was established in 1957, with Poland as one of its founding members.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Thursday is day 610 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: PAP, iaea.org