SOUTHERN UKRAINE - Caught in crossfire, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine, on the Dnieper River, near the town of Enerhodar, is being watched very closely by international eyes as the power plant receives heavy artillery rounds, causing fears of a Chernobyl-like nuclear incident.
The power plant is the largest in Europe and is listed in the world's top 10 largest nuclear power plants. It was built during the Soviet Union's prime and has six reactors with a total capacity of 5,700 megawatts.
Shortly after the Russian Federation began its special military operation in Ukraine, which began on February 24th, 2022, the power plant was taken by the Russian Army in a fight with Ukraine, with the fighting causing a fire at a training facility on the power plant's grounds.
At first, Russia had taken complete control of the power plant, but due to concerns over a nuclear catastrophe, the Ukrainian staff that worked at the facility were released by the Russian Federation and allowed to return to their posts at the plant. Since then the power plant has been Russia-controlled but run by the Ukrainians as it still provides power to Kyiv.
For the past few days, some attacks have damaged backup equipment at the plant, but all reactors are intact, according to Russian officials at the plant. Ukraine and Russia are now in a blame war as the power plant has yet again come under the fire of heavy artillery. Russia has been accused of using the power plant as a cover to launch attacks at Ukrainian forces across the Dnieper River. Russia has vehemently denied the accusations and has begun blaming Ukraine for firing heavy artillery at the plant.
An emergency shutdown was forced at the plant on Sunday, August 7th, after artillery shells hit the plant as plumes of smoke filled the air and a power surge occurred.
Ukraine officials made claims that Russia had planted explosives in preparation for an upcoming offensive by Ukraine. The Kremlin immediately erupted with statements such as "Ukraine is taking all of Europe hostage" and "catastrophic consequences for all of Europe."
A nuclear specialist from Imperial College in London, Mark Wenman has publicly made a statement saying nuclear power plant reactors are designed to withstand various types of events including natural disasters, weather-related issues, and even airplane attacks. With Chernobyl, it was the reactor design itself and a flaw in processes that led to its disastrous meltdown. the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is a different type of nuclear technology, utilizing a pressurized water reactor.
An IAEA official, Rafael Mariano Grossi Director-General, has stated that both countries involved need to allow an IAEA team in to ensure the reactors are secure. He went on to say this:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Moscow of engaging in nuclear blackmail
Russia has agreed to the IAEA visit, but will not assist in arranging the trip, while Ukrainian Government officials have denied taking part in an IAEA inspection until Russia withdraws from the power plant and hands it back over to Ukraine.
A new development comes from Kyiv's Ukrainska Pravda stating Russia has begun to disconnect the power plant from the Ukrainian grid and reconnect it to the Russian grid, according to Petro Kotin, President of Ukraine's state-run Energoatom.
On air with the 24/7 national joint newscast, Kotin said this:
On August 10th, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (#G7) called on Russia to hand control of the nuclear power plant back to Ukraine immediately, respect Ukraine's national sovereignty, and withdraw from its globally recognized borders
The power plant is the largest in Europe and is listed in the world's top 10 largest nuclear power plants. It was built during the Soviet Union's prime and has six reactors with a total capacity of 5,700 megawatts.
Shortly after the Russian Federation began its special military operation in Ukraine, which began on February 24th, 2022, the power plant was taken by the Russian Army in a fight with Ukraine, with the fighting causing a fire at a training facility on the power plant's grounds.
At first, Russia had taken complete control of the power plant, but due to concerns over a nuclear catastrophe, the Ukrainian staff that worked at the facility were released by the Russian Federation and allowed to return to their posts at the plant. Since then the power plant has been Russia-controlled but run by the Ukrainians as it still provides power to Kyiv.
For the past few days, some attacks have damaged backup equipment at the plant, but all reactors are intact, according to Russian officials at the plant. Ukraine and Russia are now in a blame war as the power plant has yet again come under the fire of heavy artillery. Russia has been accused of using the power plant as a cover to launch attacks at Ukrainian forces across the Dnieper River. Russia has vehemently denied the accusations and has begun blaming Ukraine for firing heavy artillery at the plant.
An emergency shutdown was forced at the plant on Sunday, August 7th, after artillery shells hit the plant as plumes of smoke filled the air and a power surge occurred.
Ukraine officials made claims that Russia had planted explosives in preparation for an upcoming offensive by Ukraine. The Kremlin immediately erupted with statements such as "Ukraine is taking all of Europe hostage" and "catastrophic consequences for all of Europe."
A nuclear specialist from Imperial College in London, Mark Wenman has publicly made a statement saying nuclear power plant reactors are designed to withstand various types of events including natural disasters, weather-related issues, and even airplane attacks. With Chernobyl, it was the reactor design itself and a flaw in processes that led to its disastrous meltdown. the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is a different type of nuclear technology, utilizing a pressurized water reactor.
An IAEA official, Rafael Mariano Grossi Director-General, has stated that both countries involved need to allow an IAEA team in to ensure the reactors are secure. He went on to say this:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Moscow of engaging in nuclear blackmail
Russia has agreed to the IAEA visit, but will not assist in arranging the trip, while Ukrainian Government officials have denied taking part in an IAEA inspection until Russia withdraws from the power plant and hands it back over to Ukraine.
A new development comes from Kyiv's Ukrainska Pravda stating Russia has begun to disconnect the power plant from the Ukrainian grid and reconnect it to the Russian grid, according to Petro Kotin, President of Ukraine's state-run Energoatom.
On air with the 24/7 national joint newscast, Kotin said this:
On August 10th, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (#G7) called on Russia to hand control of the nuclear power plant back to Ukraine immediately, respect Ukraine's national sovereignty, and withdraw from its globally recognized borders
Sources
Ukrainska Pravda | The Associated Press | Reuters
Photo Accreditation
Photo: Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant | GFDL | CC-BY-SA-3.0 | via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons
Ukrainska Pravda | The Associated Press | Reuters
Photo Accreditation
Photo: Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant | GFDL | CC-BY-SA-3.0 | via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons
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