1

Based on photo credits, TASS and various other Russian media have released several photos of IAEA chief Grossi being given an explanation around the tail end of a rocket sticking out the ground. I have two questions about that photo, but I'm going to ask them separately.

The first is: who is the guy with dark, round glasses seen in one the photo(s) pointing at the rocket and seemingly giving an explanation while Rossi takes notes? (He's not readily identified in a couple of Western media reports that reproduced the photo(s).)

Likewise it's the same person in a near-identical setup vis-a-vis of Grossi on the roof of another building near a hole in that roof, but again the Western media piece doesn't identify the man with dark glasses giving the explanations there either.

I'm asking because AFAIK Russia has named their own administration of the plant or at least of the region. I'm guessing it's more likely one of "their guys" in the photo, but I'd like some confirmation on his exact status. DW only says

The delegation was given a tour of the facility by Russian forces.

But the guy (with dark glasses) seemingly doing the talking is in plain/civilian clothes, so who is he exactly in the "Russian forces"?

1 Answer 1

3

According to the Ukrainian government the individual guiding the tour, and the one in question, was Renat Karchaa (Ренат Карчаа), adviser to the general director of Rosatom.

As Minister of Energy Herman Galushchenko noted in his post on Facebook, Renat Karchaa, adviser to the general director of FSUE "NO RAO (DK "Rosatom"), was also included in the list. It was he who acted as a guide to the Zaporizhia NPP occupied by Russian troops yesterday during the visit of the IAEA mission to the station.

"Today - a guide at the station, and tomorrow - you have sanctions. Yesterday, the whole world watched as he conducted a "tour" for the IAEA mission at the nuclear power plant, misinforming at every step. And today he is already a sanctioned person, whom no one will shake hands with now," Herman Galushchenko noted.

This is confirmed by TASS, which calls Karchaa a "Russian nuclear expert".

Ukraine, Russia and Europe are on the verge of a very serious danger until the shelling of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant stops. This was stated by Russian nuclear expert Renat Karchaa, who accompanied members of the IAEA delegation to the nuclear power plant.

"For us, everything that is happening here is anomalous. We absolutely understand that until the shelling [of the nuclear power plant] stops, Ukraine, Russia, Europe are on the verge of a very serious danger," he told reporters on Thursday.

1
  • In the meantime I found an English caption for that photo that said slightly more "IAEA Director Rafael Grossi (white helmet) with a Russian representative of Rosatom, in front of a missile that fell on the territory of the Zaporizhia power plant" actualnewsmagazine.com/english/… So I guess that's a confirmation Karchaa is in photo(s). And Sputnik even said what he told Rossi (i.e. Ukrainians did it) urdupoint.com/en/world/… Sep 2, 2022 at 15:38

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .