US government scientists are monitoring radiation sensor data at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, according to a senior US defense official, and have seen “no indications of increased or abnormal radiation levels so far.”
The official said the US is pressuring Russia “to vacate the power plant and allow the Ukrainians to be able to operate it in peace.”
“We’re very intent in ensuring that the IAEA can send its team into the plant and ensure the safety of those plant operations,” the official added.
IAEA mission to the plant: Principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said the US State Department “(hopes) that Russian lives up to its word and allows a full inspection of the facilities."
A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), led by its chief Rafael Grossi, is en route to the Russian-occupied power plant in southeastern Ukraine. Officials have warned of the risk of a catastrophic nuclear incident amid shelling near the facility. US and Ukrainian officials have called for a demilitarized zone around the plant.
Separately, a senior US military official said that “airstrikes and artillery bombardment that have gone on around the nuclear power plant,” and that the US knows “with great confidence that the Russians are firing from the area around the nuclear power plant,” as well as “using the nuclear power plant to store a bunch of their equipment.”
However, this official also said “there’s probably a likelihood” the Ukrainians have also fired in the vicinity of the plant.
“In a number of cases, it’s returning fire of the Russians who are firing from those locations,” said the official.