Russian troops have undermined the cooling system of the Zaporijia nuclear power plant, the head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s secret service, Kirilo Budanov, warned on Wednesday, quoted by Ukraine’s Euromaidan Press.
Kirilo Budanov pointed out that there is currently a “certain threat” regarding the Zaporijia nuclear power plant.
This head of the Ukrainian secret service recalled that the plant remains under Russian control and that the destruction of the Kakhovka dam has interrupted access to the water used to cool the nuclear facility.
“But the worst thing is that during this period, the power station and the cooling system itself have also been undermined”stressed Budanov.
If the Russians “deactivate the cooler by blast,” it is likely that there will be “significant problems,” he added.
The West has expressed concern over the Zaporijia nuclear power plant, occupied by the Russians since last year, after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper, the great Ukrainian river, whose waters were used to cool the six reactors .
The situation at the site is serious but stabilizing, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, assured during a visit to the site on Thursday.
The IAEA has a permanent team of specialists at this plant, which is also the target of bombings and has been disconnected from the power grid several times.
Moscow and Kiev blame each other for the June 6 destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, located in an area under Russian control, which flooded towns and villages on both banks of the Dnieper, killed dozens and thousands of people had to leave their homes.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 has so far led to the flight of more than 14.7 million people – 6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than 8.2 million to European countries – according to the latest data from the UN, which classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion – justified by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security – was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and impose political obligations on Russia. and economic sanctions.
Source: DN
