The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, accused Russia on Wednesday, October 1, of constituting a “global threat”, after a Russian bombardment reduced the electricity that supplies the containment structure of the old Chernobyl plant, which adds to the energy cut for more than a week at the Zaporijia nuclear energy plant.
“Every day, when Russia prolongs war, it refuses to implement a complete and reliable fire, and continues to attack all our energy sites, including the essentials for the safety of nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities, it is a global threat,” Volodymyr Zelensky denounced on Facebook.
The electricity supply of the containment structure that houses the part of the Chernobyl plant destroyed during the nuclear disaster in 1986 was cut by a Russian bombardment, according to kyiv.
“An emergency in facilities”
Ukraine, then the Soviet Republic, had been in 1986 the theater of the worst nuclear disaster in history when the Chernobyl reactor had exploded, contaminating vast territories in Europe, but especially in Ukraine, Russia and Bélarus.
With Russian attacks, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine denounced on Telegram on Wednesday “an emergency situation in the facilities of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant”, where specialists strive to restore the current.
“After the surge, the new security confinement, a key installation that isolates the fourth reactor destroyed in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and avoids the release of radioactive materials in the environment, was found without energy supply,” according to the Ukrainian ministry.
The new safe containment, or Chernobyl Ark, completed in 2016, is a large metal structure that covers the vestiges of reactor number 4 and avoids the release of radioactive materials.
A Russian drone attack damaged him in February, without leading to an increase in radiation according to Ukrainian authorities.
Moscow holds the Zaporijjia nuclear energy plant
Ukraine and Russia have been accused since the beginning of the conflict to attack nuclear sites, which arouses warnings of the International Atomic Energy Agency (AIEA).
The Russian army had assumed the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant in disuse the first day of its offensive in February 2022, before retiring a month later.
Moscow has also assumed the Zaporijia nuclear energy plant in southern Ukraine, the largest nuclear installation in Europe. She still holds her.
Moscow said Wednesday that the situation was “under control” at the Zaporijia nuclear energy plant, deprived of outdoor energy supply for more than a week, after alarming comments from Volodymyr Zelensky.
“The situation in the Zaporijjia nuclear energy plant is under control. The power plant informs the IEE of the current situation in accordance with the procedures established and constantly,” said the Russian operator of the site in the Kremlin army in its telegram account since March 2022.
A “critical” situation
The OIEA had previously indicated that this energy plant with six reactors did not have an “immediate danger” whenever it worked thanks to its “emergency diesel generators.”
“The largest (nuclear) central (nuclear) has been deprived of external foods for at least a week, which constitutes the most long event in more than three and a half years of war” in Ukraine, said the chief of the Aiea Rafael Grossi.
Volodymyr Zelensky tried on Tuesday “criticism” the situation of the power plant, which lost its external energy supply on September 23 for the tenth time since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022.
This is the longest cut in Zaporijia since Russia has invaded and took control of the nuclear energy plant.
Source: BFM TV
