Battles for Ukraine's Zaporizhia nuclear power plant: how big is the risk?
Created: 08/17/2022, 05:25
By: Julia Schöneseiffen
The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is heavily contested in the Ukraine war.
What is the risk of a “nuclear catastrophe”?
Enerhodar – Heavy fighting continues in the Ukraine war.
In particular, the situation around the contested Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is coming to a head.
Russia and Ukraine blame each other for shelling the nuclear power plant.
This is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and is located in the part of southern Ukraine occupied by Russian troops.
Alongside the finger-pointing, both Ukraine and Russia are voicing concerns about security in the region.
Ukraine War: Battles for Zaporizhia NPP - risk of nuclear catastrophe
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warned of the "very real risk of a nuclear catastrophe that could threaten public health and the environment in Ukraine and beyond."
Should the power plant lose access to the power grid due to a possible escalation of fighting in the region, the radioactive fuel elements in a total of six reactors could no longer be adequately cooled.
If the permanent cooling of the fuel rods fails, the material eats its way through the reactor and out: the worst possible accident, a so-called GAU.
Shelling of the Ukrainian Zaporizhia nuclear power plant: danger of a radioactive catastrophe
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also alarmed.
"Any radioactive incident at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant could also become a blow to the countries of the European Union and Turkey and Georgia and the countries of more distant regions," Zelenskyy said in a video message.
"Everything depends only on the direction and strength of the wind," emphasized Zelenskyy.
The international community must act, he stressed.
"If the world doesn't have the strength and determination now to protect a nuclear facility, it means the world will lose," said Zelenskyy, adding that protection from radioactive contamination is at stake.
Zaporizhia NPP: Nuclear incident would not only affect Ukraine
Nuclear energy research experts have repeatedly warned that a nuclear incident would affect not only Ukraine, but also the neighboring countries of Russia, Moldova, Belarus, Romania and Bulgaria.
The fighting could damage critical infrastructure, including reactors, Andrei Ozharovsky, a radioactive waste safety specialist at the Russian Social-Ecological Union, told The
Moscow Times
.
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"In the event of an explosion - and given that the power plant is located near the river - the radiation could be released hundreds of kilometers around the power plant," the scientist warned.
Zaporizhia nuclear power plant: What danger would there be for Germany in the event of a nuclear catastrophe?
What is the risk for Germany now?
Should there actually be a release of radioactive substances in the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, "contaminated air would only reach Germany in 17 percent of all weather conditions," explains Dr.
Florian Gering, head of the radiological emergency response department at the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), told
ZDF
.
Therefore, the "risk is relatively low".
Nevertheless, it could happen that contaminated air would come to Germany with the right wind, the expert continued.
The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant has been under fire for days.
Ukraine and Russia blame each other.
© Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/AP/dpa
So far, no serious damage or nuclear leakage has been identified, and according to Rafael Grossi, there is currently "no immediate threat" to the safety of the nuclear power plant.
However, this could “change at any moment” in further fights.
According to risk researcher Nikolaus Müllner from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna , nuclear power
plants
are built to withstand natural disasters, plane crashes or terrorist attacks.
Protection against targeted military destruction, on the other hand, is hardly possible.
Zaporizhia nuclear power plant under fire: states are demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops
On Sunday (August 14) 42 states and the EU demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Russian occupying forces from the area around Europe's largest nuclear power plant.
"The stationing of Russian military and weapons at the nuclear facility is unacceptable," the statement said.
Russia is violating the safety principles to which all member countries of the International Atomic Energy Agency have committed themselves.
The US, UK, Norway, Australia and Japan also signed the notice.
Russia rejected the demand for an immediate withdrawal.
"The leadership of the United Nations and the chief diplomat of the EU should not be talking about demilitarization, but about introducing a ceasefire," Vladimir Rogov, a representative of the Russian occupation authorities, told Russia's state-run
Ria Novosti
news agency .
(jsch)