Russia supports the creation of a security zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. According to Rosatom Chief Alexey Likhachev, this should be done under the conditions of Russia, which controls the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the nuclear power plant has been under the control of Russian forces and has been disconnected from Ukraine's power grid. Fighting continues near the NPP, which poses a risk of a nuclear accident. A mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA launched inspections at the facility in early September because of the heated situation surrounding the nuclear power plant. The physical integrity of the Zaporizhzhia NPP was violated several times, according to the IAEA experts. They called for the establishment of a safety and security zone around the NPP.
In the words of Alexey Likhachev, Rosatom outlined its proposals for how the security zone would work, including that Ukraine would not be allowed to fire on the zone or attempt to recover it. Russia will not deploy any offensive weapons or forces in return, but only means for physical protection and monitoring of the plant, Likhachev said. If both sides want to help, the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC is ready to act as a neutral mediator in the exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine have carried out the latest in a series of prisoner of war exchanges on Thursday, with both sides handing over 50 people. An official at the International Commission on Missing Persons said more than 15000 people have been missing during the war in Ukraine.