IAEA: A mine exploded near the cooling pond at the occupied nuclear power plant

A Russian soldier on the territory of the occupied Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, photo: AFP

On June 11, one of the mines near the cooling pond exploded at the Zaporizhia NPP occupied by the Russian army.

This was reported to the IAEA.

Agency workers reported hearing explosions near the station for several days last week.

The ZNPP confirmed that on June 11, one of the mines located next to the cooling pond exploded. There were no physical injuries or casualties during the explosion, and the IAEA team did not report the cause of the explosion.

«This latest explosion, which happened so close to the station, is of grave concern and worsens an already fragile situation,» commented IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

IAEA experts also visited one of the power substations in the city of Energodar to examine the consequences of the alleged shelling, which, according to the ZNPP, took place on June 8. The IAEA reports that the alleged shelling led to a fire and damage to the substation that serves the building of the Energodar City Council. The main communication node between the ZNPP and Energodar is located there. However, due to damage, the communication line was not interrupted.

What is the situation at Zaporizhzhia NPP?

The station came under the control of the Russian Federation in March 2022. Due to Russian shelling, the station experienced eight complete blackouts and one partial blackout, with emergency diesel generators and security systems being activated.

On June 22, 2023, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Russian occupiers may be thinking about committing a terrorist act with the release of radiation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

On June 29, large-scale special exercises aimed at preparing for a possible terrorist attack at the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant began in the Kherson, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Also, in the Dnipropetrovsk region, a population evacuation plan was developed, as well as the routes that will be used to transport people to safe places in the event of an explosion at the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

At the same time, the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Mariia Zakharova, accused Ukraine of allegedly intending to «carry out a terrorist attack» at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Energodar.

On July 6, the head of the State Administration of Ukraine announced that the threat of an artificial man-made disaster at the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP is beginning to subside.

In total, during the two years of occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant , more than 150 gross violations of the operation of the nuclear power plant were recorded.

The chairman of the board of NAEC «Energoatom» Petro Kotin previously stated that due to the incompetence of the staff recruited by the Russians, the necessary repairs and inspections are not carried out at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.