![]() It doesn’t appear that there’s been any sort of leak or accident at the plant itself, but it has been subject to shelling by Russian forces. We do know that there’s been no elevation of radiation coming from the plant. But it does appear that the Ukrainian workers are still staffing the plant but that there are Russian military equipment that’s being stored not only around the facility, but actually inside the facility to try to shield it from potential counterattacks. There have been some photographs released online, but I’m always cautious about relying on photographs, given particularly Russia’s use of disinformation. What do we know about these circumstances inside the plant since the Russian occupation of it? Goldberg So the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) was captured in March by Russia. How has Russia handled the Zaporizhzhia power plant since their invasion of Ukraine? It was built during the Soviet era to actually provide electricity to the then Soviet Republic of Ukraine and is situated on the upper massive river complex in Ukraine at a town that’s basically called Energy Town, where they have both hydroelectric dams, nuclear reactors, and it’s basically the energy hub for Ukraine. ![]() It has six separate nuclear reactors that provide a majority of the electricity for Ukraine. Jon Wolfsthal So the ZNPP is one of the largest nuclear power complexes in the world. The situation around Z is rapidly developing, but this conversation will give you the context you need to understand events as they unfold. Goldberg At time of recording, the International Atomic Energy Agency was seeking access to the plant, though it is unclear if they will be granted that access and able to assess the safety of the plant any time soon. After weeks of shelling, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant temporarily lost power today for the first time ever.” And in the middle of a war zone, Ukraine does not have easy access to diesel fuel.Įdited News Clips “Shelling around a key nuclear plant in Ukraine is drawing international concern.” “And now Ukraine’s top nuclear official is raising fears that Russian trucks which have been parked inside the plant’s turbine hall, could be laden with explosives or cause an accidental fire.” “Fears are growing over a potential nuclear disaster. Jon Wolfsthal The problem is those generators are not like your car engines that are designed to start and stop repeatedly over time. Transcript lightly edited for clarity What is Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP)? This includes the global impact of a nuclear meltdown at Zaporizhzhia.Īpple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Podcast Addict | Stitcher | Radio Public We then discuss what a catastrophic event at the power plant may look like. We kick off by discussing how Zaporizhzhia operates in normal circumstances and how the fighting may have impacted current plant operations. In this episode, we are joined by Jon Wolfsthal, senior advisor at Global Zero and a member of board of Science and Security at Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. In recent weeks, fighting around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant has intensified, causing some damage to the plant and raising the prospect that in the context of armed conflict, a catastrophic nuclear accident becomes a very real possibility. In March, Russian forces captured the plant and a crew of Ukrainians are maintaining operations at the plant - effectively at gun point. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine is Europe’s largest.
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