The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, today considered that the attacks on the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia were “absolutely deliberate, targeted” and classified the situation as “extremely serious”.
“A good dozen attacks” hit the plant, according to Grossi, who, without attributing responsibility to Russian or Ukrainian forces, was outraged that there were those who considered a nuclear power plant “a legitimate military target”, he said in an interview with French television channel BFMTV .
“Whoever it is, stop this madness”, exhorted Rafael Grossi, who insisted: “Whoever does this knows perfectly well what he intends to achieve. It is absolutely deliberate and directed.”
Russia and Ukraine exchanged accusations about the responsibility for the attacks.
“The center is on the front line, there are military activities that are very difficult to identify, there are Russian and Ukrainian personnel in operation,” said Grossi.
The IAEA, which has two inspectors at the center, will carry out an assessment of the damage caused by the attacks.
“There was damage in very sensitive areas”, added Grossi, specifying that the reactors were not affected, but the area where fresh and used fuels are located”.
Grossi said he hoped to be able to present the balance sheet on Monday morning, and added that the inspectors could not leave today because the situation is very unstable.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine on February 24, militarily occupies the central territory and Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed its annexation, as well as that of four Ukrainian regions.
Over the past few months, Moscow and Kiev have traded accusations over the attack in Zaporizia.
*With Lusa
