Nuclear meltdown fears explode after Russian strikes damage key power plants | World | News
Russian strikes at two nuclear power plants in Ukraine have sparked a safety warning from the world’s nuclear energy watchdog. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned that military activity at Ukraine’s South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (SUNPP) and Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant (KhNPP) was jeopardising “nuclear safety”.
The organisation said: “The IAEA has been informed of military activity in Ukraine early this morning that has led to damage to substations critical to nuclear safety and security in Ukraine. Following this, IAEA teams at both South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (SUNPP) and Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant (KhNPP) have reported that each of the plants have lost access to one of their off-site power lines. Furthermore, the IAEA team at the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) have reported that the plant has reduced the power of two of its four units at the request of the grid operator. The team at KhNPP also had to shelter at their hotel for several hours this morning.”
Ukraine has a total of four nuclear power stations with 15 reactors. The largest of these is the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has six reactors.
It ranked as the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and the tenth biggest in the world. Since March 2022 it has been under Rusian control and at the centre of several major scares.
The IAEA is carrying out repair work at the Zaporizhzhia plant after a power cable was damaged in a military strike recently.
Although the reactors have been closed down for over three years, they need a steady supply oif electricity to kep them in a stable condition.
Electircity is needed to operate essential safety systems, including cooling pumps and other nuclear safety and security equipment.
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