Will Russia's war against Ukraine trigger a new nuclear catastrophe? #乌克兰一城市遭炮击已致21死112伤 #
As Russia began to invade Ukraine, radiation levels around the Chernobyl reactor were recorded to increase, and there were fears that the Ukrainian reactor would be destroyed, which led to constant rumors, what is the likelihood of these risks occurring? What happens if it happens?
Although Ukraine currently has no nuclear weapons, its territory has 15 nuclear-powered reactors spread across four factories that generate about 50 percent of energy demand at four locations, the most famous of which is the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, whose 1986 reactor explosion released clouds of radioactive material in the surrounding area, an event of its kind in what has been described as the worst event of its kind in the 20th century.
High levels of radiation
Russian forces took control of Chernobyl and its power plant on Thursday, Feb. 24 after clashes near the Chernobyl nuclear waste depot.
According to a report published on the Live Science website, data from the region's radiation monitoring system showed that gamma radiation levels were about 20 times higher than normal at multiple observation points.
On the other hand, a statement issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency said that it was learned that near the city of Kharkiv (northeastern Ukraine), a power transformer at a low-level radioactive waste disposal site was damaged, but no radioactive material was released.
According to Ukrainian sources, the data has attracted the attention of the international community, especially the news that the working group responsible for monitoring radiation levels and controlling them within a safe range has been taken hostage by the Russian army.
While officials at Ukraine's nuclear energy agency blamed the rise on radioactive dust from the movement of heavy military equipment in the region, experts say there is a risk that the nuclear power plant could be directly injured — intentionally or unintentionally — in the conflict.
Potential risks
Bennett Ramberg, a former U.S. military officer and author of "Nuclear Power Plants as Weapons for the Enemy," said power plants are a common target in modern armed conflict because their destruction can hinder a nation's ability to continue fighting.
But nuclear reactors, unlike other energy sources, could turn into terrifying ghosts if hit because they contain a lot of radioactive material.
According to an article published by U.S. experts in the newspaper syndicate, the radiation could have been released as an explosion damaged the reactor building or cut off important cooling lines that maintain its stability, and a cyberattack or cut off the external power supply on which the plant is run could also cause serious damage to the plant.
According to Dr. Lydia Zablozka, a professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of California, San Francisco, in a statement to People, if any damage to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant suffers, it will have serious repercussions, particularly "the protective shield sarcophagus built in 2017 to surround the nuclear reactor and provide coverage of radioactive material stored at the site is about to expire, and it is planned that the sarcophagus will be dismantled by 2023 and will only begin filling the storage sites in the barrels to contain radioactive material about a year ago." ”
Russia will also be a victim
According to experts, the health consequences of such accidents depend on the number of exposed people and the toxicity of radioactive elements. The true cost of the 1986 disaster remains unknown, with reports estimating the actual number of casualties between 4,000 and 90,000, although the officially announced number of direct deaths did not exceed 31.
Zablozka said, "If there is an explosion in that place and radioactive particles are released into the atmosphere, they will be dispersed by the prevailing wind." "That's what happened in 1986, when the wind blew in a northwesterly direction, causing it to spread throughout northern Europe." ”
So far, Ukraine's nuclear facilities do not appear to be in significant danger, and ukraine's nuclear facilities do not appear to be in great danger at the moment, according to a statement issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency on February 26, which said in a statement issued on February 26 that Ukraine informed that the country's nuclear power plants are still in a stable state and operating normally, and that the staff of the national nuclear energy regulator maintain regular contact with the factories.
Given Chernobyl's legacy, it would be assumed that Russia would avoid attacks on the reactors in operation, especially since Russia would be a victim of radioactive particles carried by the wind, Ramberg said.
