EU criticizes Russian “war games” in Zaporiyia and expects IAEA to “restore” situation

Latest news on the war confronting Russia and Ukraine.

The European Union on Wednesday criticized Russia’s “war games” at the Zaporiyia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which put security in the area at risk, and insisted on the urgent demilitarization of the plant’s surroundings.

Speaking ahead of the informal meeting of foreign ministers in Prague, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell denounced the “systemic crisis” created by the Russian military, which he accused of playing “war games.” “They are playing with nuclear security,” he has reproached.

Borrell has shown his support to the mission of experts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), headed by the director, Rafael Grossi, who will review the situation in the Zaporiyia power plant these days.

“Let’s see what the outcome of this mission is. We come asking for an immediate demilitarization of the surroundings of this atomic power plant, the largest atomic power plant in all of Europe. We cannot play war games in the vicinity of such a site,” the head of EU diplomacy assured.

In this sense, the European diplomacy hopes that the IAEA mission “will be able to restore the situation”, while the EU and the international community will continue to press for the withdrawal of Russian forces from the area.

A team of IAEA experts departed Wednesday from Kiev to inspect the plant, which has been seized by Russian forces since early March. The aim is for the mission to work to stabilize the situation “as far as possible”.

The Zaporiyia nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe. It has a net output of 9,500 megawatts and had more than 10,000 employees before the war began. The plant was occupied by Russian troops shortly after the invasion of Ukraine began, and has been the scene of fighting for the past few weeks.