September 8, 2022

1. The latest IAEA Report has some setbacks

The IAEA released its Report on its inspection visit to Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant or ZNPP urging to create a safety zone [here and later “Zaporozhye” has Russian spelling]. IAEA inspectors registered many damages inflicted by Forces of Ukraine or AFU at the ZNPP, and called to resort to measures of preventing a nuclear disaster at the facility.

The Report contains 52 pages and 175 paragraphs. It was made public on September 6, 2022.

"Since April, a considerable number of events at the ZNPP have significantly compromised the Seven Pillars," the statement reads adding that a team of IAEA experts "closely witnessed shelling in the vicinity of the ZNPP…, the team observed damage at different locations caused by reported events with some of the damage being close to the reactor buildings."

Note: Seven Pillars included:

1) the physical integrity of the facilities — whether it is the reactors, fuel ponds or radioactive waste stores — must be maintained;

2) all safety and security systems and equipment must be fully functional at all times;

3) the operating staff must be able to fulfil their safety and security duties and have the capacity to make decisions free of undue pressure;

4). there must be secure off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear sites;

5) there must be uninterrupted logistical supply chains and transportation to and from the sites;

6) there must be effective on-site and off-site radiation monitoring systems and emergency preparedness and response measures;

7) there must be reliable communications with the regulator and others.

The IAEA urged to immediately set up ‘a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the ZNPP" or NSSPZ. The agency stated its readiness to immediately launch consultations on this issue because such step will help to prevent a nuclear incident that may be possibly provoked by  military actions.

"Pending the end of the conflict and re-establishment of stable conditions there is an urgent need for interim measures to prevent a nuclear accident arising from physical damage caused by military means. This can be achieved by the immediate establishment of a nuclear safety and security protection zone."  The Report, however, failed to specify in what way NSSPZ around the pklantwill be arranged if Russian National Guards maintain such security.

The plant does not need additional aid from outside sources, especially from Ukraine who has shelled it nearly 40 times and used more than 150 projectiles totally since July 18, 2022.

The agency also recommended it was necessary to re-establish a reserve power supply to the ZNPP, required for the operation of its cooling systems as well as at the other stations. "The IAEA recommends that the off-site power supply line redundancy as designed should be re-established and available at any time, and that all military activities that may affect the power supply systems end." AFU tried to hit the plant power supply systems several times.

It is strange to see the call made by the IAEA DG Rafael Grossi incorporated in the IAEA Report to remove special Russian trucks located at the ZNPP that belong to Nuclear, Biological, Chemical and Radiological Defence troops of the Russian Federation. The IAEA recommendation was very strange: such vehicles having no weapons are more dangerous that all Ukrainian attacks on ZNPP. Naturally, they should stay there.

It is also irrelevant that all Ukrainian shellings against the facility have been recorded in the IAEA Report as if they have been done by Russia. There are no material evidence or space-based satellite images that could prove that Russia attacked the plant.

2. Kiev disregards the IAEA and the UNO call to stop shelling ZNPP

In its Report the IAEA recommended: "That shelling on site and in its vicinity should be stopped immediately to avoid any further damages to the plant and associated facilities, for the safety of the operating staff and to maintain the physical integrity to support safe and secure operation”.

Despite such recommendation Kiev regime continues its shelling of ZNPP aimed at creating a possible technological disaster and with such measure to win the aggression.

15 artillery attacks launched at the city of Energodar and ZNPP by AFU have been recorded over the past 24 hours. Ukrainian artillery has launched a total of 20 projectiles, including three of them directly at the nuclear power plant.

One of the projectiles has impacted the roof of the special building №1, the second has impacted the area between the special building №1 and the second power generator, the third has exploded near the tankers designed for storing distilled water near the power plant № 2.

The fire was being conducted from Ukrainian positions deployed near Marganets (Dnepropetrovsk Region). AFU units have been neutralised by a counter-attack launched by Russian artillery located too far away from ZNPP.

3. Izvestia: The IAEA’s proposal to resolve ZNPP dilemma

The creation of a nuclear security zone around ZNPP is needed, according to one of the key recommendations that the IAEA made public after its visit to the facility. Previously, Ukraine, supported by Western countries and the UN Secretariat, also proposed forming a demilitarized zone. Russia completely rejected this idea since, in its opinion, international control over the nuclear plant would mean practically giving the facility up to the Ukrainians and creating additional risks. That said, Russia notes that the IAEA’s recommendations are vague and general.

"The report by the IAEA group of experts is of a rather general and non-specific nature - the entire wording is very vague," Chairman of the Federation Council’s (Upper House or Senate in short) Foreign Affairs Committee Grigory Karasin told Izvestia. He added that these conclusions shouldn’t be dismissed and should be discussed in greater detail both within the framework of the IAEA and the UN in order to prevent a catastrophe at the nuclear facility and ensure a restraint from the Ukrainians.

4. The Kremlin: Russia provides aid to LPR and DPR based on the UN Charter

Russia is providing aid to the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) in full compliance with the UN Charter, Russian President Vladimir Putin said when answering questions at a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) on September 7 in Vladivostock, Russian Far East.

"We are doing this [providing aid – TASS]. Does this comply with the UN Charter? It does. There is Article 51 of the UN Charter which mentions self-defense. And we, as a party to this agreement, are obligated under this clause, under this UN Charter article, to provide aid to our allies. This is just what we are doing. Here is a simple sequence and logic in full compliance with international law," Putin stressed.

He cited the simple sequence related to international law and the justification of Russia’s actions in defending the LPR and DPR. He reiterated that the UN Charter talks about a nation’s right to self-determination: during the Kosovo crisis, the International Court of Justice made a decision according to which, if a part of some territories wants to declare its independence, it does not have to ask permission from its country’s central government. "This is applicable to Kosovo. So, it applies to the DPR and LPR - isn't it the same? Yes, it’s all the same. And if they have the right to this, and they do have it in accordance with the UN Charter and a nation’s right to self-determination, they - by implementing this right - declared their independence. Do they have this right from the standpoint of international law and the UN Charter? They do. And this right is confirmed by the relevant decision of the UN Court in application to Kosovo," the head of state explained.

"If we recognize them, can we conclude an international agreement on friendship, cooperation and mutual aid? Of course, we can. We signed this agreement, it was ratified by the Russian parliament and their parliaments, and there are certain obligations for the Russian side - to provide them with aid, even in the event of aggression.

In this case, aggression by the Kiev regime which is essentially illegitimate because it was founded on a coup d’etat as its original source of power in Ukraine nowadays," the Russian leader outlined.

Written by Vladimir P. Kozin