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Largest nuclear power plant in Europe damaged after attack - explosion "miraculously" prevented

2022-08-07T04:19:10.100Z


Largest nuclear power plant in Europe damaged after attack - explosion "miraculously" prevented Created: 07/08/2022 06:11 By: Felix Durach After the attacks on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant on Friday, the emergency response system was triggered and the reactors were partially shut down. The operator reports on Saturday. Zaporizhia – People around the world look with concern at the Zaporiz


Largest nuclear power plant in Europe damaged after attack - explosion "miraculously" prevented

Created: 07/08/2022 06:11

By: Felix Durach

After the attacks on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant on Friday, the emergency response system was triggered and the reactors were partially shut down.

The operator reports on Saturday.

Zaporizhia – People around the world look with concern at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

The largest nuclear power plant in Europe was the target of artillery and rocket launcher attacks on Friday.

While the governments in Moscow and Kyiv blame each other for the attacks, nuclear experts worry about the safety of the reactors.

Ukraine-News: Emergency protection system in Zaporizhia NPP triggered

As the operator of the Energoatom nuclear power plant announced on Saturday, the attacks on Friday triggered the power plant's "emergency protection system" and the reactors were partially shut down.

The state-owned company announced this via Telegram.

A nitrogen-oxygen station and an outbuilding were badly damaged in the attacks.

The operator continues to explain that there is still a risk of radioactive substances escaping and the risk of fire is also high.

Russian soldiers measure radiation levels in front of the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia.

(Archive image) © SNA/imago-images

The Ukrainian staff would continue their work on the reactors and would do everything possible to ensure nuclear safety.

Despite the emergency operation, the nuclear power plant would still produce electricity.

Attacks on nuclear power plants: Atomic Energy Agency speaks of "very real danger of a nuclear catastrophe"

In response to the attacks, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has again asked Moscow and Kyiv to allow the agency access to the nuclear power plant.

Friday's attack "underscores the very real risk of a nuclear disaster that could threaten public health and the environment in Ukraine and beyond," IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said in a statement on Saturday.

He stated that damage had occurred on the site, but that the reactors were intact and no radioactivity had escaped.

A site visit by an IAEA team would help stabilize nuclear safety on site and provide independent information on the state of the nuclear plant.

Grossi called on Ukraine and Russia to finally make such an IAEA mission possible together.

Media report: Russia is said to have mined the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant

However, based on research by The Insider

portal, it is doubtful

that Moscow will respond to the demands .

The authors of the report have video showing Russian trucks driving into the site of the nuclear power plant on August 2.

With reference to an anonymous source, the portal reports that the armed forces are said to have mined the engine room of the power plant there.

In addition, the approximately 500 soldiers stationed at the nuclear power plant are said to have mined the area around the nuclear power plant.

However, the reports cannot currently be independently verified.

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Podolyak: Zaporizhia NPP 'miraculously did not explode yesterday' after attacks

Referring to the situation in Zaporizhia, Mykhailo Podolyak, one of President Volodymyr Zelenskyi's advisers, wrote on Twitter on Saturday: "This morning in Europe was made possible only because the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant miraculously did not explode yesterday." Podolyak plans to stage "dangerous provocations" there.

The presidential adviser called on the IAEA and the United Nations to persuade Russia to withdraw from the nuclear power plant site and leave control to a special commission.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also wrote about the short message service: "This is a serious and irresponsible violation of nuclear safety rules and another example of Russia's disregard for international norms."

Nuclear power plants as tactical targets in the Ukraine war - Zelenskyj speaks of an "act of terror"

Russian troops took control of the largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine and Europe in March shortly after the troops marched into the country.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been trying to send inspectors to the facility for weeks.

Ukraine has so far refused to do so, saying it would legitimize Russia's occupation of the site in the eyes of the international community.

The Ukrainian nuclear power plants play a particularly critical role in the ongoing Ukraine war.

Ukraine currently has four operating nuclear power plants.

But the power plant in Chernobyl, which was shut down after the reactor catastrophe in 1986, still poses a considerable threat from the fighting. Fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops broke out there shortly after the invasion.

In his daily video address on Friday evening, President Zelenskyy spoke of an "act of terror" by Russia.

Russia rejected the allegations and blamed the Ukrainian government: "Armed Ukrainian groups carried out three artillery strikes on the site of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant (...) and in the city of Enerhodar," the Russian army said on Friday.

(fd with dpa)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-08-07

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