“YOU’RE PLAYING WITH FIRE”: UN CALLS FOR END OF ATTACKS NEAR ZAPORIZHZHIA PLANT

Mon 21 November 2022:

The head of the United Nations’ nuclear inspector has called for an end to the “madness” and condemned what he called targeted strikes on the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine.

Over the weekend, the Zaporizhia area of Ukraine, home to the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe, was shaken by powerful explosions caused by shelling.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in his evening address on Sunday that a violent ground war was taking place in eastern Donetsk province and that a strong barrage of Russian military attacks—nearly 400 on Sunday alone—had also struck Ukraine’s eastern territories.

POPE WARNS OF POTENTIAL ‘NUCLEAR DISASTER’ AT ZAPORIZHZHIA PLANT

“The news from our team yesterday and this morning is extremely disturbing,” Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a statement on Sunday.

“Explosions occurred at the site of this major nuclear power plant, which is completely unacceptable.

“Whoever is behind this, it must stop immediately,” he added.

“As I have said many times before, you’re playing with fire!”

IAEA experts at the Zaporizhzhia plant reported hearing more than a dozen booms in a short amount of time on Sunday morning and were able to see some explosions from their windows as a result of increased shelling near and at the site, the agency said.

RUSSIA BLAMES UKRAINIAN ‘SABOTEURS’ FOR THE ATTACK ON THE ZAPORIZHZHIA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

The IAEA announced that the shelling had halted later in the day and that its experts would review the situation on Monday.

“There has been damage to parts of the site, but no radiation release or loss of power,” it said.

Speaking to a French broadcaster, Grossi said it was clear that the raids on the plant were no accident.

“The people who are doing this know where they are hitting. It is absolutely deliberate, targeted.”

The likelihood of a nuclear disaster at the facility, which Russia occupied quickly after invading Ukraine on February 24, has increased as a result of attacks in and around Zaporizhzhia.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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