Wednesday, December 11, 2024
An International Atomic Energy Agency vehicle was hit and damaged by a drone on the day of the latest rotation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by a team of International Atomic Energy Agency experts.
The IAEA driver and security personnel who were in the vehicle at the time of the drone attack were unharmed. The incident occurred at 14:05 local time on Tuesday in Ukrainian-controlled territory, about 8 kilometers from the front lines.
Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said: “I condemn in the strongest terms this attack on IAEA personnel. Fortunately, there were no casualties and our team is safe. The rotation has been completed. “He said that he had carried out a nuclear attack before.” It is also absolutely unacceptable to attack those who protect nuclear safety at nuclear power plants. ”
The agency did not accept responsibility for the drone attack, which occurred while the convoy was heading to the front to pick up an IAEA team that had completed a month-long rotation in Zaporizhzhia. It is the responsibility of the party.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe and has been under the control of the Russian military since early March 2022. It is located near the front lines of Russian and Ukrainian forces. The IAEA will have experts stationed at the plant from September 2022 as part of its efforts to promote nuclear safety and security on site.
grossi nobel prize speech
On Wednesday, Grossi spoke at the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize Forum, where this year’s award goes to Nippon Hidankyo and the hibakusha, survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, praising their efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons. Ta.
“The world is at a critical juncture,” he said. “Our deep psychological connections, created by collectively witnessing the horrors of the consequences of nuclear war, compel us to do everything possible to prevent it from happening again.” It seems to be evaporating along with our collective determination to do so.”
“War is returning to Europe and the nuclear-weapon states are directly involved. The conflict in Ukraine is also an indirect confrontation between the world’s largest nuclear-weapon states, the first since the end of the Cold War. “The public reference to nuclear-weapon states means that the use of nuclear weapons in this theater of war increases the risks and cannot be ignored.”
He also referred to tensions between Israel and Iran, saying, “On the one hand, the supposed presence of nuclear weapons looms in the background. On the other hand, the very real possibility of nuclear proliferation increases the risk.” “
“We find ourselves stuck in a pernicious loop: the erosion of regulations around nuclear weapons is making these conflicts more dangerous; A vicious cycle is in play.”
“Principles regarding the use of nuclear weapons are being revised or reinterpreted. The quantity and quality of nuclear weapons stockpiles is increasing. And in some non-nuclear-weapon states, important countries in the region, leaders are asking, “Why? Why don’t we do it?” he asked. ? ”
He said a return to diplomacy and dialogue is needed, pointing to examples of how Kennedy, Reagan, President Trump and Soviet leaders Khrushchev and Gorbachev reached out to nuclear-armed adversaries.
After the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war and the situation with a nuclear power plant in the middle of a combat zone, “the option of observing this from the outside was never in my mind.”
“Staying on the sidelines and reflecting on ‘lessons learned’ later may have been a more traditional or expected path for an international organization, but to me this was a dereliction of duty. So we committed to our core mission, going beyond the front lines of the war and delivering all of Ukraine’s nuclear power. The IAEA has established a permanent presence of experts in the occupied territories, making it the only international organization working independently in the occupied territories and informing the world of what is happening. “This is to reduce the possibility and reduce the possibility of that happening,” he said, adding that he was in constant contact with both sides.
Along with various other “hotspots” and tensions, the world will “chart a new path” with leaders who recognize “the need for responsible management of nuclear weapons” and “an ironclad determination to monitor and strengthen the global situation.” There is a need,” he said. A “non-proliferation regime” was needed.
“We must overcome dangerous times by recognizing our limits and focusing on common goals. Nuclear disarmament cannot be imposed on nuclear-armed peoples. Realism is not defeatism. Diplomacy is weakness. “Tough times require wise leadership at the national level. Similarly, at the international level, getting the international system back on track is within our reach,” Grossi added.
