|
Last week, the head of the U.N.'s nuclear power watchdog, Rafael
Grossi, said the situation around the Russian-held nuclear
station had become "potentially dangerous" after
Moscow-installed officials began evacuating people from nearby
areas.
Russia's TASS state news agency said on Monday the
Moscow-installed governor of the Russia-controlled part of the
surrounding region had suspended operations at the plant.
Ukraine's Energoatom said it had received information about
preparations for the evacuation of about 3,100 people from the
southern city of Enerhodar, including 2,700 workers who had
signed contracts with the Russian-installed company.
"The Russian occupiers are proving their inability to ensure the
operation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, as there is
now a catastrophic lack of qualified personnel," it said in a
statement on the Telegram messaging service.
"Even those Ukrainian workers who, having signed shameful
contracts, ... are going to be 'evacuated' soon. And this will
exacerbate the already extremely urgent issue of having a
sufficient number of personnel to ensure the safety of operation
of the NPP (nuclear power plant) even in the current shutdown
state."
Reuters was not able to independently verify the reports. Russia
did not immediately comment.
Ukraine is widely expected to soon launch a counteroffensive to
try to push back Russian forces, and commentators say retaking
the whole of the Zaporizhzhia region is one of its aims.
Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia plant days after
President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of
Ukraine in February 2022. Exchanges of fire have frequently
occurred near the facility, with each side blaming the other.
(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
