The fear of a nuclear catastrophe around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in the war zone in Ukraine is great. Now the situation threatens to escalate.
Moscow and Kiev have accused each other of preparing an attack on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. The Ukrainian General Staff wrote in its daily situation report about alleged explosive devices on the roof of the nuclear power plant.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, on the other hand, claims in Moscow that the danger of “sabotage by the Kiev regime is great”. Both sides warn of a catastrophe. Some questions and answers about the current situation around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
What is the situation in the nuclear power plant?
With six reactors, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant is located in the contested Zaporizhia region, which is partly controlled by Ukraine and partly by Russia. The reactors have been shut down since September 2022. Shortly after the war began in March last year, Russian troops occupied the nuclear facility in the city of Enerhodar. The warring parties repeatedly accused each other of having shelled the facility. Warnings of a possible loss of control and nuclear catastrophe have been around for a long time.
In the face of global attention, Russia allowed inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last year. Since then, experts have stayed there to monitor the situation. The head of the Ukrainian nuclear regulatory authority, Oleh Korikow, told the German Press Agency in Kiev in mid-June that the situation was “extremely dangerous”. A total of 300 employees still work in the nuclear power plant under Russian occupation.
What is the military situation around the nuclear power plant?
As part of its major offensive to recapture its territories, Ukraine has massively expanded its military activities in the Zaporizhia region. The nuclear power plant is also to be released. The front line between Ukrainian and Russian troops is currently around 50 kilometers east of the power plant town of Enerhodar, and there is also fierce fighting there.
There have been no major shifts at the front for a long time. However, Ukrainian units could also dare to advance across the closed Kakhovka reservoir. The distance to the other bank was less than five kilometers even before the Kachowka dam was destroyed a month ago. On the other side of the Dnipro River near the nuclear power plant, Russians and Ukrainians fought artillery duels again and again. There were also effects on the power plant site.
How are warnings and threats to be evaluated?
According to Ukrainian and Russian sources, the situation is tense. The IAEA is also concerned. Adviser to Russian nuclear operator Rosenergoatom, Renat Karchaa, claims Kiev is planning a terrorist attack to draw international attention to the war. Kiev’s goal is to open “legal floodgates” for direct NATO and Western intervention in the war under the pretext of a nuclear threat across Europe.
From the point of view of Carlo Masala, political scientist at the Bundeswehr University in Munich, Ukraine does not have the ability to blow up the nuclear power plant from outside. Such an “explosion is extremely complicated,” he told the dpa. Russia, on the other hand, could “wreak havoc” by detonating the nuclear power plant controlled by Moscow’s troops.
What is the cooling water situation after the dam destruction?
The water supply to the power plant is also affected by the destroyed Kachowka dam. The supply channel can no longer supply the cooling pond with water. According to the IAEA, the water level in the pond is currently falling by around one centimeter every day. The water level is currently over 16 meters and ensures the functionality of the cooling system for several weeks.
According to the Russian power plant administration, four blocks are in “cold operation”, another one is being shut down for repair work. Block five, on the other hand, is still in the “warm shutdown” and therefore needs stronger cooling measures. The Ukrainian operator Enerhoatom had ordered a “cold shutdown” because a hitherto unlikely total failure of the cooling system could lead to a nuclear accident.
How big is the danger posed by the power plant?
The Soviet-designed pressurized water reactors are protected by a thick layer of reinforced concrete. This should allow them to survive both small aircraft crashes and internal explosions. This would also make serious damage from explosive devices or artillery fire very difficult.
However, the nuclear waste interim storage facility not far from the reactors is threatened by shelling. More than 170 concrete containers are outside and would hardly withstand an artillery attack. In case of impact with a container, radioactivity could be released. However, the consequences would be local.
Is Berlin preparing for a nuclear catastrophe?
The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) has been closely monitoring the situation in the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant since the beginning of the war, a spokeswoman said on request. According to the BfS, the combat operations, the power supply and the working conditions of the employees represent the greatest risk factors. In addition, everything must be done to ensure the cooling of the safety-relevant systems of the nuclear power plant.
According to the BfS, should there be a release of radioactivity in Ukraine, the local consequences would be significant. “For Germany, the radiological impact of a release in Ukraine would be limited.” Germany also remembers the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant north of Kiev, where in 1986, during Soviet times, a reactor exploded and the largest radioactive accident in the history of civilian use of the triggered nuclear energy.
In the past, the BfS had already dealt with the question of what effects could be expected on Germany if radioactivity was released in Ukrainian nuclear power plants. According to the information, an investigation was carried out into how the radioactivity would spread. According to this, more than a year ago, the air masses only moved from Ukraine to Germany in about 17 percent of the cases.
Due to the great distance between Ukraine and Germany, it would take at least one to two days for radioactively contaminated air to reach Germany after a release of radioactive substances from a nuclear power plant in Ukraine under most weather conditions.
In the worst case, values for food that are set in agriculture in Germany could also be exceeded. Then a control of feed and food would be necessary, possibly also a marketing ban for contaminated products. According to calculations by the BfS, it is not to be expected that further measures such as evacuation, staying in buildings or taking iodine tablets would be necessary to protect the population in Germany.
What is the attitude of the Atomic Energy Agency?
The UN authority has long warned of the consequences of an escalation. In his contacts with Moscow and Kiev, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi therefore pushed for the establishment of a nuclear safety and protection zone around the nuclear power plant. For almost a year, several IAEA experts have been stationed in Zaporizhia to independently assess the security situation. “We’re trying to be as visible and effective on the ground as possible to prevent a nuclear accident,” Grossi said.
What does Ukraine want to achieve?
The nuclear supervisor Korikov in Kiev, like the Ukrainian government, is calling for international sanctions against the Russian nuclear industry in order to increase the pressure on Moscow to release the nuclear power plant. “There is a widespread opinion in Europe that nothing can be done without Russian fuel rods. But I can tell you that we have completely changed our mind and do without Russian technology. Nobody needs Russian nuclear technology,” Korikov told dpa. The nuclear power plant receives fuel rods from the USA.
dpa
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2023-07-05 22:05:58
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