Nfter their arrival at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, it is unclear how long the inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will stay there. IAEA boss Rafael Grossi wrote on Friday night in the short message service Twitter that his organization was “here to stay” and to continue to be present. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was trying to end the mission in an unsuccessful tour of the power plant. Moscow had demanded objectivity from the inspectors.
According to Zelenskyj, Moscow prevented international media representatives from accompanying the nuclear experts. “Independent journalists. So that the world can see the truth.” Unfortunately, the “occupiers” would not have let any journalists in, he said in a video address published that night. When Grossi made a statement in front of the nuclear power plant on Thursday, Russian state television only showed microphones from Russian media. The IAEA boss later published his own video on Twitter.
Friday is the 191st day of the war. The military in Kyiv is still keeping a low profile during a counter-offensive against Russian troops in southern Ukraine that was announced at the beginning of the week. In an interview with the German Press Agency before his visit to Germany, the Ukrainian head of government Denys Schmyhal called on the federal government to use battle tanks to ward off the Russian attackers.
Experts check nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine
IAEA experts have been at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant since Thursday to assess damage – despite the dangerous situation, they were shown in pictures without protective vests and helmets. One wants to establish a permanent mission, said IAEA boss Grossi. He spoke of a “long-awaited visit”. The nuclear power plant has come under fire again and again for months. Moscow and Kyiv blame each other for this.
Russia had shown itself open to a permanent IAEA mission at the power plant. Kyiv, on the other hand, insists on the complete withdrawal of Russian troops and a demilitarization of the power plant area, which Moscow rejects. The IAEA mission should represent the first step. Grossi said on Wednesday that the inspection should initially take several days. A representative of the Russian occupiers said on Russian state television that the inspectors should stay at least until next Saturday.
On Ukrainian television, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko did not rule out that two of the IAEA experts could stay longer. “But for us it is more important in this context that the power plant comes back under the control of Ukraine,” he stressed. Selenskyj also once again called for the withdrawal of Russian troops during the night. This is the only way the nuclear power plant can work safely, he said.
Both Russian and Ukrainian officials praised the nuclear experts for their determination to visit the power plant despite the war. According to Ukrainian sources, there was another shelling in the vicinity of the visit. Internationally, there is great concern that a nuclear catastrophe could occur.
Russia called the United Nations Security Council in New York again, requesting that members of the most powerful UN body speak again on September 6 about the nuclear power plant.
Ukrainian head of government calls for German battle tanks
Before his visit to Germany, Ukrainian Prime Minister Schmyhal asked the federal government to use battle tanks to ward off the Russian attackers. “We need a change in the philosophy of arms deliveries. By that I mean: modern battle tanks should also be delivered,” said Schmyhal in the dpa interview. “We expect the USA to deliver their Abrams tanks to us and we expect Leopard 2 from Germany. These are the modern tanks that Ukraine needs on the battlefield.” Schmyhal is expected in Berlin on Saturday. On Sunday he will be received by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Chancellery.
Germany wants to continue using Russian gas
Russia is pumping significantly less gas to Germany and only temporarily stopped gas supplies via the Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 1 on Wednesday. Nevertheless, Chancellor Scholz does not want to do without Russian gas completely. “We don’t do it on our own, I don’t think it’s that responsible,” said the SPD politician on Thursday at a citizens’ dialogue in Essen. But Germany is so well prepared that any backlash can be dealt with if Russia itself turns off the tap. “Even if things get really tight, we’ll probably get through the winter.”
FDP parliamentary group wants to “dismantle” Nord Stream 2
The FDP parliamentary group wants to finally close the chapter on the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline. “As Free Democrats, we demand the dismantling of Nord Stream 2 and the fastest possible development of a concept for legal, technical and environmental protection,” says a position paper adopted at the autumn meeting in Bremen, which was available to the German Press Agency on Friday. The FDP parliamentary group wants to end all purchases of raw materials and energy from Russia and Belarus as quickly as possible, insofar as this is permitted by their own economic capacity to act.
That will be important on Friday
The IAEA experts continue their work on the Zaporizhia power plant. It is also eagerly awaited whether Russia will resume gas supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in the Baltic Sea, as announced. She was stopped mid-week. The reason given by the Russian energy giant Gazprom was scheduled maintenance work. According to the state agency TASS, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in the evening that he expected a resumption on Friday.
