The International Atomic Energy Agency, which sent a team of inspectors to Zaporizhia last week, said it was deeply concerned about the “unprecedented” situation at the plant, which is controlled by Russian forces but operated by Ukrainian technicians, and urged interim measures . to prevent a nuclear disaster. The report came as Russian state media confirmed that the Russian colonel who served as the military commander of the occupied Ukrainian city of Berdyansk had been killed in a car bomb attack, in the most significant killing of an official working for the occupation forces. Ukrainian personnel were operating under constant high stress and pressure, especially with the limited personnel available, the report said. “This is not sustainable and could lead to increased human error with implications for nuclear safety,” he added. Russian troops took control of the site in early March and there have been repeated attacks on the site, prompting fears of a nuclear holocaust. Moscow and Kyiv have denied responsibility, and the report did not assign responsibility for the damage its inspectors found. Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Site Map The UN agency sent a 14-person team to the site last week, including its director-general, Rafael Grossi, to assess the situation at the factory. At least two team members will remain there on a permanent basis to ensure the security of the facility. “There is an urgent need for interim measures to prevent a nuclear accident resulting from bodily harm caused by military means,” the IAEA said. “This can be achieved by immediately establishing a nuclear safety and security buffer zone. “The IAEA recommends that shelling of the site and the surrounding area cease immediately to prevent further damage to the plant and associated facilities.” Map showing the location of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Inspectors said they found Russian troops and equipment at the plant, including military vehicles parked in turbine rooms. The IAEA said that during its inspection, its team “saw close-up shelling in the area of the power plant, particularly on September 3, when the team was ordered to evacuate to the ground floor of the administration building.” On the same day, the plant was disconnected from its last remaining main power line to the grid and relied on a backup line. “While the ongoing bombardment has not yet caused a nuclear emergency, it continues to pose an ongoing threat to nuclear safety with potential impacts on critical safety functions that may lead to safety-critical radiological consequences,” the inspectors wrote. Areas damaged by shelling included a turbine lubricating oil tank and the roofs of various buildings, including one housing a spent fuel transfer vehicle. Grossi is expected to brief the UN Security Council in New York on his findings later on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, a Russian colonel serving as the military commander of the occupied Ukrainian city of Berdyansk was killed in a car bomb, Russian state media confirmed. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The car bomb reportedly exploded near the city administration, which is used as a Russian headquarters. Photos showed that the car used by the Russian military official, who has been identified as Colonel Artyom Bardin, was heavily damaged in the attack, which happened around noon. Russian officials claimed Ukraine was behind the attack. If true, it would be the most significant killing to date of an official working for Russia’s occupation government in Ukraine. At least two Ukrainians working with the Russian government were killed in suspected guerrilla attacks in August. In one case, the deputy head of the military command installed by Russia was shot to death in his home in the town of Nova Kakhovka. In late August, a Ukrainian politician from Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s party who had gone to cooperate with the Russians was killed in the Kherson region. Earlier, explosions were heard and power was cut in Enerhodar, the town surrounding the plant, according to Dmytro Orlov, the Ukrainian mayor who operates outside Russian territory. Moscow repeated its long-standing accusations that Ukrainian forces had bombed the plant. Kyiv says it is Russia that orchestrates such incidents, to undermine international support for Ukraine and as a possible pretext to cut the plant off the Ukrainian electricity grid and steal its output. Russia has so far rejected international calls to withdraw its forces from the site and demilitarize the region. Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant integrity ‘violated multiple times’, says IAEA chief – video On the battlefield in the east of the country on Tuesday, three civilians were killed in Russian rocket attacks in the Kharkiv region, a senior official said. Last week, the focus of fighting shifted to the south, where Ukraine launched a long-awaited counteroffensive to recapture territory seized early in the war. Ukrainian officials posted online an image of three soldiers raising the Ukrainian flag on a rooftop in Vysokopylia, in northern Kherson. If confirmed, it could mark perhaps the most strategic breakthrough on the counterattack battlefield. Meanwhile, Russia continued to bomb Ukrainian cities elsewhere. Rescuers found the body of a woman under the rubble of an apartment building in Kharkiv after overnight shelling in Ukraine’s second-largest city, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov. The governor said two others were also killed in the province. Reuters contributed to this report
