IAEA: "No Immediate Danger at Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine"

SadaNews - The International Atomic Energy Agency stated that there is "no immediate danger" at the Zaporizhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, which has been offline since last week after being disconnected from electricity by Russia, as long as the emergency diesel generators are still operational.

The agency said in a statement issued last night, "It is clear that the situation is unsustainable in terms of nuclear safety. Neither side would benefit from a nuclear accident." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Tuesday of the potential threat, saying the situation is "critical."

In a related context, the Ukrainian capital Kyiv was subjected to intense Russian shelling on Sunday morning, in one of the largest attacks on the city since the outbreak of the full-scale war more than three and a half years ago, according to independent observers cited by Reuters.

The Ukrainian Air Force announced an increase in alert status across the country in anticipation of potential air strikes, while Poland closed parts of its airspace and confirmed that its forces and allies are prepared to respond to any Russian activity.

Sources reported that drones flew over Kyiv and surrounding areas, and anti-aircraft fire rang out throughout the night until 7:20 AM local time, as residents took refuge in underground metro stations for safety.

Polish authorities explained that the closure of airspace near Lublin and Rzeszów was a precautionary measure to protect citizens, while Russia denied targeting its aircraft toward Polish or Estonian airspace, indicating that the deviation of the drones from their course was due to Ukrainian electronic jamming.