Ukraine: UN relief convoy reaches Soledar, efforts to protect nuclear power plants accelerate
Fierce fighting is taking place here and Russian military forces have stepped up their campaign to advance towards the strategically important city of Bakhmut.
Briefing reporters in Geneva on Friday, a spokesman for a UN agency said the relief convoy contained food, water, hygiene kits, medicine and other medical supplies, which were provided by UN agencies.
“This is for the 800 people who are still in the area where there has been heavy fighting and widespread devastation. This is why the people there are in dire need of relief. This is why we we are happy that this convoy has undoubtedly arrived there.
It has been said that it is possible that many more convoys will arrive there in the coming days. The spokesperson for the UN office said that the UN and its partner organizations are working to increase the scope and scale of inter-agency relief operations on the front lines in Ukraine, as there are special humanitarian needs.
Intensive efforts for the safety of nuclear power plants
Since the invasion of Russian military forces in Ukraine, concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants there have grown.
Briefing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the current situation, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said on Thursday that the United Nations agency was intensively expanding the scope of its activities.
Its objective is to ensure the safety and security measures of nuclear power plants in Ukraine. The head of the United Nations Atomic Energy Agency said that this week several permanent expert missions were established in several regions of the country.
It was said that in the coming days, the UN agency’s team of experts will also be deployed to the Khmelnitsky factory located west of the capital kyiv.
With this, a total of 11 nuclear security experts will be stationed in the country at a time, and this development was seen as an unprecedented step by the organization.
In addition, there is also talk of establishing a nuclear safety and security zone around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant under Russian control.
It is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which has been the target of fires several times in recent months, raising concerns about nuclear safety.
Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
Risks at the Zaporozhye plant
The head of the Atomic Energy Agency said that this huge plant faces dangers every day. “Our team there hears explosions near the plant every day, and two were on Thursday alone.”
Raffaele Grossi underlined that this area is essential to prevent a serious nuclear accident, and that close consultations with the Russian Federation and Ukraine will continue to guarantee this.
“In Ukraine, from north to south, this week to support the country’s efforts on the ground to avoid a serious wartime nuclear accident IAEA The efforts made by the
“The IAEA flag is now flying over these important nuclear facilities at the request of Ukraine.”
Director General Grossi said it was the first time that high-level experts were permanently stationed at all nuclear power plants in Ukraine and at Chernobyl.
His important work will help reduce this real nuclear threat to the country.
