A Ukrainian official claims that Russia’s evacuation of a town near the contested nuclear power facility in Zaporizhzhia has sparked “mad panic.”
Russia has ordered the evacuation of 18 localities in the Zaporizhzhia region, including Enerhodar near the power plant, in anticipation of a Ukrainian offensive.
Ivan Fedorov, the Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol, stated that there were five-hour delays as thousands of vehicles departed.
The nuclear watchdog of the United Nations warned that a “severe nuclear accident” could occur.
Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told the BBC’s Newshour programme that the evacuation of residents near the nuclear facility indicated the possibility of heavy fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces near the plant.
Despite the fact that the plant’s reactors were not producing electricity, he stated that they were still laden with nuclear material.
A few weeks ago, Mr. Grossi had to travel through a minefield in order to reach the facility.
Previously, the IAEA issued a warning that the situation at the Zaporizhia facility was “becoming more unpredictable and potentially dangerous.”
The operating personnel remained on-site, but there was “deep concern over the increasingly tense, stressful, and challenging conditions for personnel and their families.”
It was reported that IAEA experts at the plant had “received word that the announced evacuation of residents from the nearby town of Enerhodar – where the majority of plant staff reside – has begun.”
Friday, the Russian-installed regional leader Yevgeny Balitsky stated that “in recent days, the enemy has intensified its shelling of settlements near the front line.”
“I have therefore decided to evacuate children and parents, the elderly, the disabled, and hospital patients first,” he wrote on social media.
After shelling caused temporary power outages, the IAEA previously issued warnings about the safety of the facility, which Russia captured in the opening days of its invasion last year.
After damage to the power lines, the IAEA warned in March that the plant was operating on diesel generators to maintain vital cooling systems.
Since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022, the number of personnel at the plant has decreased, according to the IAEA, “but site management has stated that it remains adequate for the plant’s safe operation.”
Russian forces occupy a large portion of the Zaporizhzhia region, but not the regional capital Zaporizhzhia, which is located just north-east of Enerhodar across the Dnipro reservoir.
On Sunday, the Ukrainian general staff reported that civilians were being evacuated to the Russian-held cities of Berdyansk and Prymorsk.
Ivan Fedorov, the exiled mayor of Melitopol, reported via Telegram that stores in evacuated areas had run out of food and medication.
Afraid that electricity and water supplies could be cut off if Ukraine assaults the region, he added that hospitals were discharging patients into the street.
And he asserted that two-thirds of purportedly civilian evacuation convoys consisted of retreating Russian troops. The BBC is unable to confirm this claim.
Mr. Fedorov added, “The announced partial evacuation is proceeding too quickly, and there is a possibility that they are preparing for provocations and focusing on civilians as a result.”
