Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency have discovered anti-personnel mines on the edge of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant site in Ukraine, which is occupied by Russian troops. During an inspection on Sunday, the specialists noticed some mines in a buffer zone between the facility’s inner and outer barriers.
The waiting staff have no access to this room. No mines have been found in the inner area of the site, IAEA director Rafael Grossi said Monday night, according to a statement from the authority.
Fear of disasters at nuclear power plants
Russian troops occupied the nuclear power plant shortly after the attack on Ukraine began 17 months ago. The plant came under fire several times, which increased international concern about a nuclear disaster despite its closure. Moscow and Kiev had been suspecting each other for months of deliberately causing an accident at the nuclear facility, either through shelling or mining. The allegations came to a head in early July. It was said that an attack was imminent. The situation has now calmed down somewhat.
Plant previously mined, no danger to nuclear power plants
The IAEA, which has its own observers on the site of the nuclear power plant, said it saw no signs of mining at the height of the dispute. At the same time, however, the international nuclear experts also reported that the power plant had been mined before and that they did not have access to all parts of the power plant.
Grossi said his agency was aware of mines placed off-site and also in certain locations within the site. His team was told it was a military decision in an area controlled by the military. “Having such explosives at the site violates IAEA safety standards and nuclear safety guidelines,” Grossi said. However, based on its own observations, his agency concluded that the detonation of these mines should not affect the facility’s safety systems.
Agreement without Russia
The agreement banning anti-personnel mines was passed in 1997, Ukraine joined in 1999 and ratified it in 2005. Russia has not joined the treaty. Anti-personnel mines explode when touched – for example by children trying to pick them up or by farmers working their fields. They are often only the size of the palm of your hand and can be dispersed over larger areas from the ground or from the air with missiles.
Kiev reports nightly Russian air raids
While the International Atomic Energy Agency was in Zaporizhia, there was an air raid alarm in Kiev. Russia had “attacked Kyiv with combat drones,” military administration chief Serhiy Popko said on Tuesday. According to him, this was the sixth drone attack on Kiev this month.
The air raid alarm lasted three hours and all missiles were discovered and destroyed. According to the current status, there are no casualties or damage, Popko explains.
Source: Krone
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