By Arul Louis United Nations, Aug 12 : India has expressed concerns over the shelling at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which is the largest in Europe and one of the world’s biggest in the same way that Moscow and Kiev have exchanged accusations regarding the incident and the chief of the international Atomic Agency warning of “serious implications”.
In a speech to the Security Council on Thursday, India’s Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj stated: “Any accident involving nuclear facilities could have serious consequences for the public health as well as the environmental.
“India is concerned about the claims of shelling near the storage facility for fuel of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant.”
The Council session was called on the request of Russia to discuss the possibility of shelling the facility.
India is “carefully watching” the situation closely and “attaches the greatest importance to making sure that the safety and security of the infrastructures”, Kamboj added.
“We are calling for mutual restraint in order not to compromise the security and safety of nuclear power plants.”
Affected by its economic and military dependence on Moscow, New Delhi has maintained a delicate line, not blaming Russia in a public manner, or directly backing Ukraine.
In repeating what could be interpreted as diplomatically-worded criticism of Russia, Kamboj said: “We continue to reiterate that the global order should be anchored on international law, the UN Charter and on respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states”.
The Zaporizhzhya plant in the south-eastern region of Ukraine is currently under the control of Russia however Ukrainian technicians are still working in the nuclear facility.
In a briefing to on behalf of the Council, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said that the August 5 shelling triggered multiple explosions close to the electrical switchboard, which resulted in an electrical power shut down.
“These military actions close to an enormous nuclear facility could have grave implications,” he warned.
However, he also assured that IAEA experts initially concluded that the bombings or other military actions did not pose an immediate threat to nuclear safety.
“This could be changed at any time.”
The Permanent Representative of Russia Vasily Nebenzya has accused Ukraine of employing heavy artillery on the plant during the change of shift to intimidate its workers at the plant.
He claimed that there had been an attack using cluster munitions August 6, and a second attack the next day caused an electrical surge.
The Permanent Representative of Ukraine, Sergiy Kyslytsya has accused Russia of “militarising” the area of the nuclear power plant.
He suggested that an international team which includes experts from military personnel is required to visit the plant.
A Russian withdraw of Russia from Zaporizhzhia could stop the danger to Zaporizhzhia, he said.
Secretary General Antonio Guterres issued a statement asking everyone “to use common sense and logic” and to stop all military activities in the vicinity of the nuclear power plant.
“Regrettably instead of de-escalation, in the last few days there’s been reports of more deeply troubling situations that may, if they are allowed to continue could lead to catastrophe,” he said.
This is the 2nd dispute between Ukraine and Russia that involves the nuclear facility.
In the first phase of the war in February Russian forces took over the Chernobyl nuclear power plant that had been the site of the most devastating nuclear catastrophe in 1986 when Ukraine was a member of the Soviet Union.
However, Russia has withdrawn from Chernobyl in March following a failure in its efforts to gain access to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.Kiev.
During the attack on remaining parts of Chernobyl’s nuclear facility that was shut down, there was a fear of radiation leaks.
Nuclear accidents are a very sensitive issue for Ukraine because huge amounts of radiation were released out of the Chernobyl plant following an explosion that destroyed the reactor in the 1986 accident, making a 30-km radius inaccessible.
(Arul Louis may be reached via aru.l@ians.in and he can be followed via @arulouis.)
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