A Sukhoi Su-24M plane used by the Russian air force. The use of glider bombs has had some early success CREDIT: Universal Images Group Editorial
An official from Ukraine claims that Russia has caused a “mad panic” by evacuating a town close to the contentious Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station.
Russia has ordered citizens to leave 18 communities in the Zaporizhzhia region, including Enerhodar, which is close to the nuclear facility, as Kyiv gets ready for an anticipated invasion.
Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol, claims that thousands of cars are said to have fled the area, generating heavy traffic and up to five-hour waits.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog, has issued a warning over the potential for a “severe nuclear accident.
” In an interview with the IAEA Director Rafael Grossi said that the evacuation of local civilians is a sign that there may be fierce fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces close to the nuclear plant.
The IAEA’s director, Rafael Grossi, stated that although the nuclear reactors at the Zaporizhzhia plant were not producing power, they were nonetheless loaded with radioactive material.
He also mentioned that, during his recent visit to the factory, he had to navigate a minefield.
In a statement, the IAEA cautioned that the situation at the plant was “becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous.
” Despite the fact that there are still employees working at the location, worries about the difficult and stressful working circumstances for employees and their families are mounting.
The IAEA has reported that its experts at the Zaporizhzhia plant have received information regarding the evacuation of residents from Enerhodar, where most of the plant staff resides.
The evacuation was initiated due to the increasing tensions and the anticipated offensive by Kyiv.
Meanwhile, the Russian-installed regional head, Yevgeny Balitsky, has also issued a statement confirming the intensification of shelling in settlements close to the front line and announcing the evacuation of vulnerable groups, including children, elderly people, disabled people, and hospital patients.
The IAEA has previously warned about safety concerns at the plant, which was captured by Russia in the early days of the invasion last year.
Shelling has caused temporary power cuts and raised concerns about the safety of the nuclear material stored at the site.
The IAEA had issued a warning in March about the Zaporizhzhia plant’s reliance on diesel generators to keep vital cooling systems operational after power lines were destroyed.
The number of employees at the company has reportedly dropped since Russia began its invasion in February 2022.
The site management has assured the IAEA that the staffing level is still adequate for the safe running of the plant.
Since then, the situation in the region has gotten worse, with tensions rising and the likelihood of conflict growing, prompting worries about how this would affect the plant’s operations.
Although Russian forces currently hold a substantial chunk of the Zaporizhzhia region, they do not yet have control of Zaporizhzhia, which is the territory’s capital and is situated northeast of Enerhodar, across the Dnipro reservoir.
The evacuation of people to the further-inside Russian-held territory of Berdyansk and Prymorsk was announced by the Ukrainian general staff on Sunday.
Ivan Fedorov, the exiled mayor of Melitopol, claims that stores in the evacuated areas have already ran out of supplies of food and medicine.
In addition, he expressed worry for the hospitals, which have begun releasing patients onto the streets out of anxiety for the probable suspension of water and electrical supply should Ukraine assault the area.
The exiled mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, has also made the unsubstantiated claim that two-thirds of the evacuation convoys, which were initially thought to be made up of civilians, were in fact made up of fleeing Russian forces.
He also claimed that the announced partial evacuation was being hurried, which raised questions about whether it might be used as a cover for provocations against civilians.
“The partial evacuation they announced is going too fast, and there is a possibility that they may be preparing for provocations and (for that reason) focusing on civilians,” said Mr. Fedorov. His statements may or may not be true, and it has not independently confirmed.