Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
urges world to prevent nuclear disaster
that will make Chornobyl pale in
comparison
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO – THURSDAY, 18 AUGUST 2022,
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) staff are urging the world to prevent a nuclear disaster at the plant. The consequences of it might be worse than those of the Chornobyl disaster or the one at the Fukushima power plant in Japan.
Source: Statement by the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant staff
Quote: "We believe that collective intelligence and good will can make the cannons go quiet and prevent an irreversible disaster from occurring. The consequences of such a disaster can be far worse than those of the Chornobyl and Fukushima tragedies.
The world’s nuclear sector has no emergency plans for ensuring the security of nuclear facilities when they become the grounds for military actions."
Details: The ZNPP staff note that over the past five months, "countless legal norms, principles and safety regulations have been violated" in the realm of "peaceful use of atomic energy". They stress that the Zaporizhzhia NPP has essentially become "the target of relentless military attacks" in the past two weeks.
"Our planet is too small to believe that there will be a place where one could hide in the aftermath of a large-scale nuclear disaster," the statement signed by the ZNPP staff reads.
However, the statement does not outline any concrete steps that the world community could take. Moreover, it does not name the aggressor country, Russia, responsible for the possible nuclear disaster.
Background:
On 18 August, Russian military command threatened to stop the operation of Europe’s largest Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
In addition, the Russian Defence Ministry announced a large-scale provocation could occur at the ZNPP during the visit of UN Secretary-General António Guterres to Ukraine on 19 August.
Russian forces captured the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine. They captured the Zaporizhzhia NPP on 4 March, creating the threat of nuclear disaster. In mid-March, the Russians detonated munition at the ZNPP. In recent weeks, Russia has ramped up its attacks on the ZNPP.
At a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, the United States indicated that for the security of the ZNPP, it is necessary to withdraw Russian troops from there, create a demilitarised zone and provide access to IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] experts. Vasiliy Nebenzia, Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, did not support the offer to create a demilitarised zone around the ZNPP.
On 13 August, Russian occupying forces placed several artillery systems on the territory of the ZNPP. They used these systems to fire on the power plant, while making it seem as though the shells come from Nikopol.
Ukrayinska Pravda
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO — THURSDAY, 18 AUGUST 2022, 16:23
The so-called "occupation authorities'' of Zaporizhzhia Oblast announced that drones will broadcast online the situation at the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) on Friday.
Source: Russian propaganda agency RIA Novosti, on Telegram, citing the so-called "member of the main council of the military-civil administration of Zaporizhzhia Oblast" Vladimir Rogov in the interview with "Solovyov.Live".
Quote: "Zaporizhzhia Oblast administration promises that there will be constant filming of situation around the Zaporizhzhia NPP, made by drones, where – according to the Russian Defense Ministry – Ukrainian troops are preparing a provocation."
Updated: Later the Russian agency noted that the filming will be conducted "for the security forces" of the invaders.
Quote from Rogov: "The probability that tomorrow a provocation will be carried out against the nuclear power plant is not just much higher than average, but it is close to almost 100%.
Just yesterday, I specifically handed over drones to our guys at the nuclear power plant, so that constant filming would be conducted around the perimeter for Rosgvardiya (National Guard of the Russian Federation) and our security forces, so that later any arrival and moment could be recorded online."
Background: The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation declared that on 19 August, a "large-scale provocation of the Kyiv regime" may occur at the Zaporizhzhia NPP during the visit of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Ukraine.
In Russia, they claim that on August 19, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will launch artillery strikes on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia NPP from Nikopol, and then demonstrate the elimination of the consequences of the accident at the nuclear power plant.
Earlier, according to the media, the invaders placed artillery units at the Zaporizhzhia NPP firing on the plant and simulating strikes from Nikopol.
Background:
On 18 August, Russian military command threatened to stop the operations of Europe’s largest Zaporizhzhia NPP.
Energoatom notes that the Zaporizhzhia NPP shutdown, by the invaders, brings the script of a radiation disaster closer.
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Russia calls U.N. idea to demilitarise Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant unacceptable
An overview of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, in Ukraine
Thu, August 18, 2022
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia's foreign ministry on Thursday rejected a proposal by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres to demilitarise the area around the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, saying it would make the facility "more vulnerable".
The plant, Europe's largest of its kind, was captured by Russia in March, shortly after President Vladimir Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in what he called a "special military operation".
Fears have grown in recent weeks over its safety and the risks of a possible Fukushima-style nuclear accident after Ukraine and Russia accused each other of shelling it.
Guterres, who is currently on a visit to Ukraine, earlier this month called for the withdrawal of military personnel and equipment from the power station and for "a safe perimeter of demilitarization."
Ivan Nechayev, a spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry, told a briefing on Thursday that the proposal was unacceptable to Moscow.
He accused Kyiv of organising what he called provocations and of being unable to control nationalist armed groups.
"That is the very reason that the proposals (on demilitarisation) are unacceptable," said Nechayev.
"Implementing them would make the power station even more vulnerable."
Russia says it keeps some troops at the plant to ensure its smooth running and security.
Kyiv accuses Russia of using the plant as a shield from which it shells Ukrainian targets. It also says Russia has shelled the plant; Moscow says Ukraine is the one shelling the facility.
Nechayev said a visit to the plant by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) could take place in the very near future and that experts could determine for themselves who had been shelling it.
Russia, which says it has no heavy weapons at the plant, earlier on Thursday accused Kyiv and the West of planning a "provocation" there on Friday. Kyiv dismissed the accusation as cynical and untrue.
(Reporting by Reuters;Editing by Andrew Osborn)
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