Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant could be a disaster like Chernobyl and Fukushima
(Baonghean.vn) - A possible accident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) due to shelling by the Ukrainian army could have consequences comparable to the Chernobyl and Fukushima tragedies, said the head of the Zaporizhzhia regional government, Yevgeny Balitsky.
“If radioactive material escapes, the consequences will be catastrophic not only for the Zaporizhzhia region,” he said.
Balitsky consulted with experts, according to which, if the backup diesel generator and mobile pump failed, the reactor core would overheat, causing the reactor to collapse, radioactive substances would be released into the atmosphere and spread hundreds of kilometers.
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| Fire in the exclusion zone near Chernobyl. Photo: AP |
The regional head warned that the accident at ZNPP could become a real disaster for the whole of Europe.
“The Chernobyl accident affected dozens of countries, and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is still the largest in Europe, people should be aware of this,” he said. Balitsky stressed that not only the Crimean Canal, but also the entire Black Sea could be affected by radiation. “So this will affect many countries,” he concluded.
ZNPP is located on the left bank of the Dnieper River near the city of Energodar. It is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe in terms of the number of units and installed capacity. Since March, the plant has been under the protection of the Russian military. The Ukrainian military regularly shells the city and the area surrounding the plant.
An IAEA team is expected to visit the site in the near future. As French President Emmanuel Macron announced, Russia and Ukraine have provided security guarantees for the inspection team's visit.
