According to CCTV News, on Wednesday (March 9), local time, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kureba issued a statement on social media saying that the power supply line of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant controlled by the Russian army was damaged, the nuclear power plant was completely cut off, or there was a danger of "nuclear radiation leakage". As soon as this news came out, it immediately aroused global attention.
It is reported that the Ukrainian National Energy Corporation (Ukrenergo) said on the same day that "the Russian army cut off the power grid of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant" and that due to the Russian military operations in the country, "there is currently no possibility of restoring these (power supply) lines". The standby generator can only supply power for 48 hours, after which dangerous nuclear radiation leaks may occur. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) responded by saying that "the power outage has no significant impact on safety".
Subsequently, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Pankov said Ukrainian nationalists had attacked the lines and substations that powered the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Russian Deputy Energy Minister Sorokin said Belarus had resolved the issue of restoring power supply to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
The Ukrainian side said that the power supply at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was completely interrupted, and the risk of radiation leakage was imminent. Infographic
A power outage at a nuclear power plant could trigger a nuclear leak
The Ukrainian foreign minister called for a "ceasefire" for repairs
The IAEA said there were no major safety implications
Although the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has long been closed, electricity is still needed to maintain the normal operation of the cooling, ventilation and fire extinguishing systems, according to foreign media reports. The Ukrainian side claims that if the power supply to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is not supplied, dangerous radiation leaks could eventually occur, and the on-site emergency diesel generators that power the critical system have been activated, but the fuel is only enough to be used for 48 hours.
Subsequently, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kureba called on Russia to cease fire and let the maintenance unit solve the problem of the nuclear power plant. He claimed that the only power grid powered by the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and all its nuclear facilities had been damaged, and "I call on the international community to urgently demand a ceasefire in Russia and allow maintenance units to restore electricity supply ... The backup diesel generator can only supply power for 48 hours. After that, the cooling system of the spent fuel storage facility will stop working, and radiation leakage is imminent. ”
According to Ukraine's National Energy Corporation, during the blackout, about 20,000 spent fuel assemblies in Chernobyl could not keep cool. This could lead to "radioactive material being released into the environment, and radioactive clouds that could be carried by the wind to Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and other parts of Europe." The company also said that without electricity, the ventilation system of the nuclear power plant will not work and workers will be exposed to dangerous doses of radiation.
In response to a statement issued by the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on March 9, saying that Ukraine had notified the International Atomic Energy Agency of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The agency said the blackout "violates critical security support for ensuring uninterrupted power supply." However, the heat load and the volume of cooling water in the Chernobyl spent fuel storage tank are sufficient to effectively drain heat, "in which case the IAEA considers the power outage to have no significant impact on safety".
Russian forces took control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on February 24. Infographic
Russian statement:
Ukrainian nationalists attacked the nuclear power plant
Belarus has helped to restore electricity
According to CCTV News, Russia's official rumor-busting website "Fighting Fake News" earlier published an article saying that some media reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency said that the situation at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant had deteriorated, which was false news. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant is still under control, and the staff normally monitors and operates the equipment.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Konashenkov said Russian forces took control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on Feb. 24. On February 28, the Russian military announced that it was normally monitoring the radiation situation at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and Russian airborne troops, together with the Ukrainian National Guard, provided protection for the plant.
On March 9, local time, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Pankov said that Ukrainian nationalists carried out extremely dangerous provocations, attacking the lines and substations that power the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Russian experts have taken swift steps to switch to back-up diesel generators to power the plant.
He also said that the Ukrainian side is trying to delay any repair and restoration of the power supply to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, "which we believe once again confirms that the actions of the (Ukrainian) nationalists are absolutely purposeful and provocative." ”
According to Russian media reports, Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin said that after the attack by Ukrainian nationalists, Belarus had solved the problem of restoring power supply at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant under a permanent plan for the country's energy system.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova also said on the 9th that in order to prevent Kiev from launching a nuclear provocation, Russia has taken control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. "Russia is doing everything in its power to ensure that Ukraine's nuclear facilities are at the level of security they deserve, and the statements made by Kiev officials about Russia's attack on Ukraine's nuclear facilities are lies," she said. ”
International Atomic Energy Agency:
Another nuclear power plant in Ukraine was also damaged
Earlier, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Grossi wrote in a statement on March 8 that remote data transmission from the safety monitoring system installed at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant had been lost. The agency is investigating the status of security monitoring systems in other locations in Ukraine and will provide further information soon.
The article "Fighting Fake News" published earlier said that the International Atomic Energy Agency said on the same day that it did not see any violations of safety at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Earlier in the day, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that the loss of contact with sensors at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant did not mean that there was a problem at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, but that there was an internet outage in Ukraine.
On March 9, Grossi said in an latest statement that two off-site power lines at another Russian-controlled Zaporozhiarian nuclear power plant in Ukraine were damaged. According to reports, the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant has a total of four off-site high-voltage power supply lines, as well as a backup transmission line. The operator said the plant's power needs only need an off-site high-voltage power supply line to meet. In addition, diesel generators are ready and back-up power is provided.
Grossi said he would travel to Antalya tomorrow at the invitation of Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu and "hope that in this meeting, progress will be made on the safety of Ukraine's nuclear facilities."
Red Star News reporter Xu Huan
Edited by Pan Li
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