War in Ukraine New attacks on Europes largest power plant

War in Ukraine: New attacks on Europe’s largest power plant fear nuclear catastrophe

August 11, 2022

Updated 4 hours ago

Nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine

Credit, Agency Anadolu

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The nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia is the largest in Europe

UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres has warned that further artillery attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhia nuclear power plant could “lead to a catastrophe” at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.

The plant was taken over by Russia in early March and last week there were fresh reports of military attacks on the site. Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the attacks.

Ukrainians claim that Russia turned the site into a military base and launched attacks from there as it is a place where Ukrainian forces cannot retaliate.

On Wednesday (10 August), the foreign ministers of the G7 states, a group of the seven most industrialized nations in the world, declared that Russia must immediately return control of the plant to Kyiv.

The US, for its part, called for the creation of a demilitarized zone around the nuclear facility.

“Fighting near a nuclear power plant is dangerous and irresponsible,” a US State Department spokesman said.

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The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant was hit when Russia took over the complex

Moscow denies authorship of the publications

In a statement on Thursday (11/08), Ukraine’s nuclear agency Enerhoatom said that “Russian invaders have again bombed the Zaporizhia facility and areas near the nuclear facility.”

The agency claims that an administrative sector near the welding area was hit and several radiation sensors were damaged. There was a small fire in a nearby area of ​​vegetation, but there were no injuries.

According to the agency, the fire station located near the plant was also hit, making it impossible for the fire crews to change shifts.

Credit, ENERGOATOM

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An administration building at the plant was hit by rockets

Zaporizhia: A chronology of the crisis

  • March 2022: Shortly after invading Ukraine, Russian troops took control of the power plant and informed site management that the complex was now owned by Russia’s staterun Rosatom Nuclear Power Plant. The plant’s Ukrainian employees continued to work under Russian control;
  • July: Reports that Russian forces operated rocket launchers from the complex, turning it into a military base;
  • 3rd August: The International Atomic Energy Agency said the situation at the plant was “completely out of control” and the site needed inspection and repairs.
  • 5th of August: Enerhoatom, Ukraine’s nuclear agency, said operators at the plant unplugged a reactor after two Russian missiles were fired from the complex;
  • 8th August: Ukraine said further Russian attacks damaged three radiation sensors and injured a worker. Local Russian officials said it was Ukraine that attacked the site with rockets;
  • August 10th: G7 foreign ministers said Russia should immediately return control of the plant to the Ukrainians;
  • August 11: There were further reports of explosions at the scene, with Ukraine and Russia blaming each other for the damage.

According to the Enerhoatom agency, the situation is currently under control.

However, Russian authorities issued a similar statement, blaming Ukraine for the bombing.

They said Ukrainian forces deployed multiple rocket launchers (MRL) and heavy artillery.

It has not been possible to independently confirm either side’s claims.

Credit, Portal

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The nuclear power plant complex is now controlled by the Russians

necessary agreement

For UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres, there is an urgent need to reach an agreement to demilitarize a security perimeter around the plant to ensure security.

Guterres’ comments came ahead of an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the issue in New York City, US.

In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “Russia could cause the world’s worst nuclear accident…bigger than Chernobyl.”

The disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, built by the Soviets north of Kyiv, is still considered the world’s worst nuclear accident.

Zelenskyy said the most extreme scenario at the facility would be tantamount to Russia’s use of nuclear weapons.

The Zaporizhzhia plant is located in the city of Enerhodar in southeastern Ukraine, on the left bank of the Dnipro River.

The facility consists of six pressurized water reactors and stores radioactive waste.

So far, the UN nuclear surveillance authorities have not been able to inspect the facility.

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