Nuclear accident at Russian-occupied ZNPP a “very realistic threat” – former environment minister

The threat of a nuclear accident at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is realistic, and the consequences of this disaster will be much more significant than from the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

People's Deputy of Ukraine Yuriy Kostenko, who held office from 1990 – 2012 and was formerly Minister of Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety, expressed his views on the topic of "Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus as a threat to European security" at a round table meeting, as reported by Ukrinform.

The politician stated that the occupation of Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest in Europe with six nuclear units, is ongoing.

" So, a nuclear bomb is possible, but not in the form that Russia is threatening – I mean tactical or strategic nuclear weapons. This is really just traditional blackmail for Russian politics. And a "civilian nuclear weapon" in the form of an explosion of six units of the ZNPP is an absolutely realistic threat… This could be a terrible disaster, the consequences of which, given the territory contaminated with radionuclides, will far exceed the consequences of using, for example, tactical nuclear weapons," Kostenko said.

He also noted that it would be extremely difficult to eliminate the consequences of a possible accident at the ZNPP during the war. In this context, the politician recalled that 600,000 liquidators were involved in the active phase of liquidation of the Chornobyl accident.

Kostenko informed that he publicly addressed "these thoughts" to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and also criticized this organization for "failing" to hold a special meeting at the level of the IAEA leadership in the situation of nuclear terrorism in Russia and for not considering this issue at its annual conference in the fall of 2022.

"And the worst thing is that the IAEA has never put the UN Security Council in a situation where the Security Council would have to consider sanctions against the Russian Federation for carrying out nuclear terrorism. None of the actions provided for by the IAEA charter were carried out," the former minister stated.

As noted by the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Halushchenko, the presence of Russian occupiers on the territory of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe – the Zaporizhia NPP – directly threatens the nuclear safety of all humankind.

The head of the Zaporizhzhia region, Yuriy Malashko, reported that the number of enemy attacks on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia region has increased over the past day.

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The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear facility in Europe, is currently under the control of the Russian military. Nonetheless, the plant is being operated by its Ukrainian personnel. The site is near the current warzone, which President Putin claimed as Russian territory.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the situation in Ukraine is unprecedented, being the first time an extensive, established nuclear power program has been subject to warfare actions. Nuclear safety expert Attila Aszódi has noted that an event similar in magnitude to the Chornobyl disaster is technically and physically impossible in the Zaporizhzhia plant but has called for urgent steps to ensure the safety of the plant.

On 11 September, the last reactor of the plant was placed in a state of cold shutdown, reducing the potential hazard posed by damage to the plant's connection to the energy grid. Nonetheless, spent fuel at the site could still present a significant risk should the warfare actions harm storage or cooling systems.