The Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, issued an urgent warning of a potential catastrophic nuclear accident at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, as Russian forces evacuated civilians from the nearby Ukrainian town of Enerhodar.
Grossi said the situation at the Zaporizhzhia station was “increasingly volatile and potentially dangerous,” according to the BBC.
The evacuation comes in anticipation of a Ukrainian counter-attack, expected to be soon, however workers of the nuclear facility will remain in their places.
Grossi expressed deep concern about the escalating tensions for the staff and their families.
IAEA experts inside the facility were reported to have “received information that the announced evacuation of residents from the nearby town of Enerhodar – where most of the facility’s staff live – has begun.”
