VIENNA: Ukraine’s operational nuclear power plants are running safely and there has been no “destruction” at the remaining waste and other facilities at Chernobyl, the UN nuclear watchdog said on Thursday, citing Ukraine’s nuclear regulator.
Facilities including the now-defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) were captured by Russian forces on Thursday after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office said.
The remaining activities around the plant where Europe’s worst nuclear disaster occurred in 1986 include nuclear waste management and storage, according to the website of the operator, the State Specialized Enterprise Chornobyl NPP.
“Ukraine has informed the IAEA that ‘unidentified armed forces’ have taken control of all facilities of the State Specialized Enterprise Chornobyl NPP, located within the Exclusion Zone,” the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement.
“The counterpart added that there had been no casualties nor destruction at the industrial site.”
The IAEA lists four operational nuclear power plants in Ukraine on its website.
The IAEA “is following the situation in Ukraine with grave concern and is appealing for maximum restraint to avoid any action that may put the country’s nuclear facilities at risk,” it said.
“The Ukraine regulatory body ... has earlier informed the IAEA that it is maintaining communications with Ukraine’s operational nuclear power plants, which it said are operating safely and securely.”
IAEA says Ukraine nuclear power plants running safely, no ‘destruction’ at Chernobyl
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IAEA says Ukraine nuclear power plants running safely, no ‘destruction’ at Chernobyl
- Facilities including the now-defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) were captured by Russian forces on Thursday
- The IAEA lists four operational nuclear power plants in Ukraine on its website
Suspected Russia shadow tanker escorted toward French port: prefecture
- The tanker, the Grinch, was intercepted Thursday morning in international waters
- French prosecutors suspect it of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet
PARIS: An intercepted oil tanker suspected of belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet headed Saturday to a port in southern France for police to inspect, French authorities said.
The tanker, the Grinch, was intercepted Thursday morning in international waters between Spain and North Africa, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on X.
French prosecutors suspect it of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet, a network of vessels Moscow is accused of using to dodge sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine.
The French navy was escorting it on Saturday evening toward the port of Fos-sur-Mere near Marseille, where it was scheduled to arrive later in the day, the regional maritime prefecture said in a statement.
It will be anchored and kept at the disposal of the Marseille public prosecutor as part of a preliminary investigation for failure to fly a flag, it added.
The prefecture said nautical and air exclusion zones had been established around the anchorage site.
Some 598 vessels suspected of belonging to the shadow fleet are under European Union sanctions.
Authorities said the 249-meter-long Grinch appears under that name on a UK sanctions list of Russian shadow?fleet vessels, but as Carl on lists compiled by the EU and the United States.
