The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres has called for the immediate demilitarization of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Ukraine which has since been garrisoned and taken over by the Russian troops following Russia’s Special Military Operations in the Ukrainian territory. He noted that the demilitarization of Zaporizhzhia is urgent and quintessential to curtailing and resolving threats to the nuclear power plant due to destructive actions being perpetrated in the region.
Guterres made this call during his visit to Odessa where he’s scheduled to hold talks on grain exports with President Zelensky and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
According to the UN General Secretary, as quoted by the UN Chief’s press office, “Obviously, the electricity from the NPP is Ukrainian electricity and it is necessary, especially during the winter for the Ukrainian people, and this principle must be fully respected.”
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The Zaporizhzhia NPP which consists of six power units and has about 6000 megawatts capacity is said to be the largest in Europe and it’s used to generate a quarter of all electric power in Ukraine.
Tass reported that over the last few days the Kiev regime has delivered numerous strikes against the station’s territory using drones, heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems which in most cases the attacks are repelled by the Russian air defense system. However, some rockets hit the NPP’s infrastructure facilities, including the nuclear waste storage sites.
Kiev has accused Russia of using the plant as a shield from which it shells Ukrainian targets. It also says Russia has shelled the plant. However, Moscow claims Ukraine is the one shelling the facility.
According to Reuters, Russia has described the demilitarization proposal as unacceptable and forcing its implementation will only make the power station more vulnerable. Reuters also reported that the spokesperson for Russia’s foreign military, Ivan Nechayev, accused Kiev of organizing a provocation while it’s unable to control nationalist armed groups.