By Reinhard Jacobsen
VIENNA | 18 August 2024 (IDN) —- The UN’s atomic energy agency IAEA is concerned about the nuclear safety situation at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which is deteriorating following a drone strike that hit the road around the plant site perimeter on 17 August. The attack occurred as Ukrainian forces continued their incursion into the Kursk region of Russia, launched earlier this month.
Situated in southern Ukraine, Zaporizhzhya is Europe’s largest nuclear plant and has been under Russian control since shortly after the launch of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said: “Yet again we see an escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. I remain extremely concerned and reiterate my call for maximum restraint from all sides and for strict observance of the five concrete principles established for the protection of the plant,” said.
The principles, elaborated in May 2023, state that there should be no attack of any kind against the plant, and it should not be used as a storage or base for heavy weapons. Furthermore, off-site power to the plant should not be put at risk; all essential structures, systems and components should be protected from attack or sabotage, and no action should be taken to undermine the principles.
The IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) team was informed by ZNPP of an explosive carried by a drone detonated just outside of the plant’s protected area. The impact site was close to the essential cooling water sprinkler ponds and about 100 metres from the Dniprovska power line, the only remaining 750 kilovolt (kV) line providing a power supply to ZNPP.
The team immediately visited the area and reported that the damage seemed to have been caused by a drone equipped with an explosive payload. There were no casualties and no impact on any NPP equipment. However, there was impact to the road between the two main gates of ZNPP.
The ISAMZ team has reported that military activity in the area—-including very close to the plant—-has been intense for the last week. The team has heard frequent explosions, repetitive heavy machine gun and rifle fire and artillery at various distances from the plant. There is no sign of the military activity in the vicinity of ZNPP abating, despite Director General Grossi’s repeated calls for restraint.
On 10 August ZNPP informed the IAEA team that artillery struck the local power and water substation in the nearby city Enerhodar, home to most ZNPP staff. The attack caused the failure of two transformers, leading to a citywide power outage. As a result, water had to be supplied using diesel generators. On 11 August the IAEA team was informed by ZNPP that power has been restored in the city.
A significant fire at one of the ZNPP cooling towers earlier this week resulted in considerable damage, although there was no immediate threat to nuclear safety.
This week also IAEA teams maintaining the Agency’s continued presence at the Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs, as well as at the Chornobyl site, reported frequent air raid alarms and drone attacks.
“Nuclear power plants are designed to be resilient against technical or human failures and external events including extreme ones, but they are not built to withstand a direct military attack, and neither are they supposed to, just as with any other energy facility in the world,” said Director General Grossi. “This latest attack highlights the vulnerability of such facilities in conflict zones and the need to continue monitoring the fragile situation.”
Additionally, this week Director General Grossi continued discussions on the recent events in the territory of the Russian Federation, including the proximity of military action to an important and operating nuclear power plant. Director General Grossi has expressed his readiness to assess the situation, including by making a visit to the plant.
The IAEA has been monitoring the situation on the reported military activities taking place in the vicinity of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).
This NPP has six units of two different reactor types: RBMK-1000 and VVER-510. Two of the RBMK-1000 are in shutdown and two are fully operational. The two VVER-510 units are under construction. [IDN-InDepthNews]
Photo: The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Ⓒ IAEA
