Ukraine Crisis Deepens with Frantic Evacuation Near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

Russia’s actions have caused a state of “mad panic” as they carry out an evacuation of a town close to the disputed Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, BBC reported citing a Ukrainian official.

As per the report, the evacuation is being done in anticipation of an expected offensive by Kyiv. Russia has instructed residents from 18 settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region, including Enerhodar near the nuclear power plant, to evacuate.

This follows a warning from the head of the UN’s nuclear power watchdog that the situation around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear station has become “potentially dangerous”.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), called for measures to ensure the safe operation of Europe’s largest nuclear plant as evacuations were underway in the nearby town of Enerhodar.

“The general situation in the area near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous,” Grossi said on the agency’s website.

“I’m extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant. We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment.”

While the operating staff of the plant remains at the site, the conditions for the personnel and their families are “increasingly tense,” according to Grossi.

On Friday, the Russian-installed governor of the Moscow-controlled part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region said that he had ordered the evacuation of villages close to the front line as shelling had intensified in the area in recent days.

A widely expected Ukrainian spring counter-offensive against Russian forces is viewed as likely to take in the Zaporizhzhia region.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on Sunday that the residents are being evacuated toward Berdiansk and Prymorsk on the coast of the Sea of Azov, Reuters reported but could not independently verify the reports.

Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia plant days after President Vladimir Putin launched the “Special Military Operation” in February 2022.

Exchanges of fire have frequently occurred near the facility, with each side blaming the other.

Grossi last visited the Zaporizhzhia station, Europe’s largest nuclear power installation, in March, as part of efforts to speak to both sides to secure an agreement on safeguards to ensure the plant’s safe operation.

The IAEA chief has repeatedly warned of the dangers of military operations around the plant.

The plant is located in the part of that region under Russian control, with many of the staff operating it living in Enerhodar on the south bank of the Dnipro River.

(With agency inputs)

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