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UN nuclear team in Zaporizhzhia limbo as Russia narrows access to plant
The Guardian ^ | August 31, 2022 | Luke Harding

Posted on 08/31/2022 4:19:06 PM PDT by Timber Rattler

Uncertainty hangs over the planned visit to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant by a team from the UN nuclear watchdog, as inspectors arrived in Ukrainian-controlled Zaporizhzhia city on Wednesday, where they are likely to spend the night before crossing the frontline.

The International Atomic Energy Agency mission into Russian-controlled territory, which comprises representatives from countries deemed neutral by both sides, was reportedly intended to last four days.

But on Wednesday, the Russian-occupying authorities said the IAEA would be given access for one day. They also said the mission would be expected to join the queue of civilians who cross back and forth between territory controlled by Ukraine and Russia. If that happens, it could delay or disrupt the visit.

These potential obstacles come in addition to safety concerns. Ukraine and Russia have given their security guarantees for the mission to travel to the plant and the neighbouring areas, Rafael Grossi, the head of the agency, said before leaving Kyiv.

(snip)

The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the mission would spend four days at the plant. But on Wednesday, Yevgeny Balitsky, the head of the Russian-installed Zaporizhzhia administration, a Russian-appointed official, was quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax as saying the delegates would be given only one day at the facility.

Adding to the suspense, a member of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia administration said the mission would not be given priority and would have to wait in a queue to cross the frontline into the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia province.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia
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To: Mariner
“Moreover, one day is not enough time to make any kind of meaningful inspection”

From the article:

“so experts can assess the damage and evaluate working conditions of the Ukrainian staff continuing to keep the facility operational”

If that takes more than 3 hours, they are, each and every one of them...stupid.

It’s a media/political exercise.

THE ONLY RELEVANT QUESTIONS ARE WHO IS LOBBING ARTILLERY ONTO THE GROUNDS AND IS RUSSIA USING IT AS A FIRE BASE? DOES IT STORE MUNITIONS? And it is leaking radioactive anywhere? (they already know it is not).

If I was the Russian decider, I would tell them to get lost.

This is the IAEA (Internal Atomic Energy Agency), everyone on that team likely has a PhD in physics and probably has significant post-doc work in Nuclear Physics.

You can always pick out the freepers who have not even opened a science book or journal since they graduated from middle school 40 years ago, because.. 'math makes head go durr.'

21 posted on 08/31/2022 6:14:22 PM PDT by Brellium (The environment is of upmost importance, without trees where will we hang Moscovites?)
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To: Mariner
I’m sure it’s theirs.

Well, that is not the correct way to make the case that you know anything about who built the plant. The proper way would be to cite a literature reference regarding the enterprise that did the construction management, along with presenting an ethnic breakdown of the construction labor.

22 posted on 08/31/2022 6:16:09 PM PDT by Hamiltonian
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To: ought-six

” It would take a day just to set up that equipment at appropriate locations.”

Perhaps I am “profoundly mistaken”. But I doubt it.

The are looking for physical damage, and they are looking at working conditions for the involuntary Ukrainian staff.

I don’t know how many inspectors there are, but a Physical damage assessment can occur, decently, via satellite and drone.

Wherever a shell hit, look there. Leaks can be detected EASILY and from afar if necessary.

Working conditions? Probably damn decent. Russia doesn’t want an incident there any more than the rest of Europe. Of course all the workers are prisoners...that is not a surprise and it only takes 20mins to figure that out.

However, Ukraine would relish a nuclear incident there. They would celebrate. They believe it would put additional pressure on the west to intervene directly.

Their charter is limited. And purely political.

But there is no independent agency looking at WHICH SIDE IS LOBBING 152mm and 155mm artillery onto the compound?

As I said, if I were the Russian decider, I’d tell them to keep moving...to elsewhere.


23 posted on 08/31/2022 6:23:23 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Hamiltonian

“Well, that is not the correct way to make the case that you know anything about who built the plant. The proper way would be to cite a literature reference regarding the enterprise that did the construction management, along with presenting an ethnic breakdown of the construction labor. “

If you step back and look at the big picture you would see none of that matters.

It’s irrelevant.

It could have been, and probably was, a mixed ethnic engineering and construction crew from the Soviet era building on the orders of a Russian Soviet, using resources assigned by a Russian Soviet.

But it’s still Russian property, as is all of Ukraine.

It has always been so. It will always be so.


24 posted on 08/31/2022 6:28:12 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Mariner
If you have no understanding of who built the plant, you might want to consider not pretending to know about that stuff.

As to who owns Ukraine, you are also incorrect.

25 posted on 08/31/2022 6:36:50 PM PDT by Hamiltonian
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To: Hamiltonian

You are simply irked by Realpolitik.

You are emotionally invested.


26 posted on 08/31/2022 6:52:57 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Mariner
The Realpolitik here is your incorrect statement about who built the plant.

I have no emotional investment regarding who built it, but have wondered why that location was chosen for six units (also the original plan for Chernobyl).

27 posted on 08/31/2022 7:05:07 PM PDT by Hamiltonian
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To: Hamiltonian

It does not matter whose hands tied the rebar or poured the concrete.

I wonder why you think it does.

It, like all of the Slavic Borderland is and will always be a Russian posession.

And there’s not shit anyone can do about it.


28 posted on 08/31/2022 7:17:04 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Timber Rattler

I am near sure this situation has absolutely nothing to do with the Russians capturing Ukrainian saboteurs near the NPP, absolutely nothing whatsoever. /s

‘A group of Ukrainian saboteurs who were preparing a terrorist attack at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant was detained’
https://southfront.org/in-video-ukrainian-saboteurs-armed-with-western-weapons-detained-near-zaporozhye-nuclear-plant/


29 posted on 08/31/2022 7:54:23 PM PDT by cranked
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To: cranked

Another random blog source, eh, Comrade? Is ‘South Front’ related to ‘Storm Front’?


30 posted on 08/31/2022 8:00:41 PM PDT by Timber Rattler ("To hold a pen is to be at war." --Voltaire)
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To: Mariner
It, like all of the Slavic Borderland is and will always be a Russian possession.

Just like when Hitler said that Austria and the Sudetenland would always be German possessions.

Kindred spirits, and all that.

31 posted on 08/31/2022 8:02:18 PM PDT by Timber Rattler ("To hold a pen is to be at war." --Voltaire)
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To: Timber Rattler

Where’s Hans Brix?


32 posted on 08/31/2022 8:04:06 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: ought-six

“Just as I thought: You have no evidence.”

https://youtu.be/cW7O5Dye90Q


33 posted on 08/31/2022 9:40:48 PM PDT by Dogbert41 (Fill your lamps!)
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To: Dogbert41

I’d be checking the US military casualty lists for “accidental deaths”.


34 posted on 08/31/2022 10:12:21 PM PDT by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
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To: TangoLimaSierra; mac_truck
With the Russians blocking scrutiny of the nuclear plant by international experts, one naturally wonders why. Perhaps the Russians fear exposure of their lies blaming the Ukrainians for the shelling and other damage. Yet Russians seem unembarrassed by being shown to be liars, so one must suspect other reasons.

Perhaps the Russians intend to cause the nuclear damage they have long threatened for Western Europe, not by bombs but by rigging the plant to melt down like Chernobyl. Yes, the Russians do seem to be shelling the plant and blaming it on Ukraine. After all, blowing up Russians is part of how Putin and his gang came to power.

An apartment block of Russians was blown up and blamed on Chechens. Yet the explosive used was of a type strictly limited to the KGB, and another apartment house was rigged to blow but defused -- with a KGB man caught red-handed on site prepping the explosives. A panicked Russian electorate nevertheless bought the lie that Chechens were to blame for the first bombing and voted Putin into power.

35 posted on 09/01/2022 2:11:55 AM PDT by Rockingham
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To: Timber Rattler

See how the pro Putin shills completely ignored the bit where the restrictions on the inspection are being issued by...

The Russians.

Who announced the restrictions to Russian and other media BEFORE the MSM picked it up.

Along with confirmation (as predicted) that the shortened inspection will definitely (accidentally of course) result in areas that the inspection is supposed to access, being effectively off limits.

Bit convenient given the accusations from inside the plant that Russian soldiers have damaged if not booby trapped those areas.

Russia reckons the Ukes and inspectors might do their own sabotaging... If they’re convinced of that, why not put CCTV all round the plant and gopro live stream the entire inspection with full unrestricted access? Catch them in the act!

An enquiring mind should be asking, how is Russia acting in good faith if it’s interfering with the inspection.


36 posted on 09/01/2022 2:23:26 AM PDT by MalPearce
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To: Mariner

Three hours is nowhere near enough to inspect all areas, interview staff without interference, and follow up on any kit or area they have a concern on!

Have you ever been inside a nuclear power plant? Even on a guided tour?

I went on one, to Dungeness B, in England, in the 80s.

It took a full four hours. And the complex at Enerhodar is many times larger.

And that tour didn’t allow time to interview the staff, check the kit, flag any observations, record any safety concerns...

And it was tightly monitored to stop the group from wandering into areas they didn’t want us to see.

Of course it’s a Russian stitch up. A proper inspection should last 3 days, minimum.


37 posted on 09/01/2022 2:37:34 AM PDT by MalPearce
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To: Rockingham

You’ve got to admire the chutzpah.

“We’re the good guys, they’re the saboteurs!”

“No, you can’t do a detailed inspection.”

“Trust us, we know how to be responsible at a NPP. We did such a bang up job in Chernobyl in the 80s.”

“Chernobyl blew up? Fake news!”

“Well, of course our guys dug trenches in the fallout zone, why wouldn’t they?”

“Well, of course we worked the civilians at Chernobyl to exhaustion. You just don’t understand how stressful it would’ve been to treat them with respect and allow the shift changes.”

Etc.


38 posted on 09/01/2022 2:49:10 AM PDT by MalPearce
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To: Hamiltonian; Mariner

On the ownership of the plant... And other Ukrainian assets.

1. Crimea: Transferred willingly to the UkrSSR with the approval of the Supreme Soviet. Here’s a translation of the archived minutes.

http://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/119638

Note: “The transfer of Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR, considering the commonality of economic development, the territorial proximity, and the growing economic and cultural ties between the Ukrainian Republic and the Crimean Oblast’ is completely advisable and is a very great friendly act demonstrating the unlimited trust and love of the Russian people for the Ukrainian people”

Yep, nothing screams “trust and love” like taking a gift back off the recipient - by force - 58 years after giving it.

It also demonstrates that the USSR in Moscow didn’t “own” the Ukrainian SSR otherwise the gesture would’ve been a complete nonsense! Obviously you can’t gift something to someone without transferring ownership of it - if all you’re doing is loaning it, then it’s not a gift is it... Mariner.

2. Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant: see https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/projects/zaporizhzhya-nuclear-power-plant/. Construction of the first section started in 1979. The next 4 sections came in between 1986 and 1989. The sixth went online in 1995 - some years after independence.

The article confirms a few things that are then easy to research.

- Westinghouse Electric is currently the fuel supplier for 2/3 of the complex, a Russian PRIVATE firm supplies the other third. The Russian Federation doesn’t own ANY of this stuff; it’s all privately owned.

- Izhorskiye Zavody, which built the plant machinery in the 80s, is now not just privately owned but has changed hands several times. It’s currently part of OMZ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Heavy_Machinery). Yet again, this is not the USSR, and privately owned businesses that have traded shares are NOT Soviet state owned assets.

- Russian companies don’t supply any more than 1/3 of the fuel at the NPP

- 1/6th of the NPP was NEVER owned by the USSR and has never been Russian property. Ever. Not even through shares.

So, the Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhya plant is straight-up state sponsored THEFT. The entire city is a collection of privately owned assets, and even the firms connected to the construction of the plant are now all private businesses so Russia can’t even play THAT bullshit card.


39 posted on 09/01/2022 5:02:26 AM PDT by MalPearce
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To: Rockingham
With the Russians blocking scrutiny of the nuclear plant by international experts, one naturally wonders why.

Rafael Grossi and his team are already at Zaporizhzhya NPP conducting their survey...and they're gonna be working for three days so kindly refrain from making anymore moon-bat assertions like this one, ok?

40 posted on 09/01/2022 7:34:49 AM PDT by mac_truck (aide toi et dieu t'aidera )
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