Thursday, March 28

Damage, bombing and personnel under pressure: what the UN mission saw in the occupied nuclear power plant in Ukraine


Destroyed, vehicles and military equipment and personnel in “extremely stressful” conditions under the control of the Russian armed forces since the first days of the invasion. The setting is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, located near the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia, which has been engulfed in fighting fueling concerns of catastrophe.

How dangerous is the situation at the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia

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These are some of the findings that in his expected report the expert mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) who arrived last week at the plant with the aim of examining it. The IAEA, which has managed to keep two inspectors at the plant, has called for the immediate establishment of a “nuclear safety protection zone” around the plant, which would require the agreement of all parties involved.

The agency has demanded that the bombings in and around the plant stop immediately – of which kyiv and Moscow accuse each other – to avoid further damage to the plant and associated facilities, for the safety of the personnel who work there – continues being operated by Ukrainian workers – and to maintain the physical integrity that allows safe operation.

The report does not identify those responsible for the attacks that have damaged the facility, but Western military analysts believe it is a “codified condemnation of Russian actions that have created and are perpetuating the danger of nuclear disaster in Ukraine.”

bombings

In The document, published this Tuesday as a result, in part, of the visit of the team of 14 people to the plant, including the general director, Rafael Grossi, the agency details what they witnessed, as well as the chronology of the main attacks in the area. The agency stops, among others, on August 5 and 6, when the bombings “practically compromised” all the pillars, a total of seven, that the agency considers essential to guarantee nuclear security during an armed conflict.

At that time, the nuclear power plant was the target of shelling that caused several explosions near the electrical panel of an external power line, causing the power transformer and two backup transformers to stop. A reactor was affected and its emergency protection system was activated and diesel generators were put into operation to guarantee the electricity supply of this unit, which continues to be disconnected from the grid.

During the mission, the team witnessed shelling in the immediate vicinity of the plant up close, particularly on September 3, when they were instructed to evacuate to the ground floor of the administration building.

Grossi has warned that any military shots directed at or from the facility would amount to “playing with fire, with potentially catastrophic consequences.” The IAEA insists that any military activity inside or near a nuclear facility has the potential to cause “unacceptable” radiological consequences.



The important plant consists of six reactors operated by the state company Energoatom. On August 24, two reactors were in operation to meet Ukraine’s power needs. On September 1, one of these reactor units underwent an automatic shutdown whose exact reason is being investigated, according to the IAEA, and resumed operation on September 2. On September 3, the operating power of the two operating reactors was reduced. Subsequently, one of the units was turned off and the other remained in operation, the report describes.

On several occasions, the plant has totally or partially lost its external power supply, which is essential for the plant to continue operating safely, as a result of military activities, according to the report.

Broken windows and damaged structures

During their visit, the IAEA inspectors saw damage in different places, some of which were close to the reactor buildings, including a turbine lubrication oil tank, the roofs of several buildings and the installation. in which the Alarm Center of the physical protection system is located.

The UN experts also saw first-hand damage to the road surface, walls and windows of several buildings, as well as the overpass connecting the reactors. According to the report, they are concerned that the shelling could have affected security-related structures, systems and components, and “caused significant security impacts, loss of life and injury to personnel.” They insist that some of the damage, such as broken windows and damaged structures, is a danger to workers at the nuclear power plant.



In this sense, Grossi assured upon his return from Ukraine that what happened at the plant represents a “constant threat”, since critical safety functions – the containment of radioactivity and refrigeration in particular – could be affected. The inspectors saw that some of the damage is being repaired.

Military vehicles and equipment

During their visit, UN inspectors witnessed Russian military personnel, vehicles and equipment at various plant locations, including several military trucks on the ground floor of the turbine halls and others parked under the flyover connecting the reactors. There is also a group of experts from the Russian company Rosatom, whose presence can “cause interference in the normal lines of command or operational authority and create possible friction when making decisions.”

Experts emphasize that the plant’s staff is trying to keep all security systems in normal operation in very difficult circumstances, with the presence of military teams, as well as representatives of the Russian company, in the area. The IAEA asks that vehicles be removed from areas that could interfere with the operation of security systems. After the occupation, some important functions, such as surveillance and access control, were taken over by the Russian military command, “despite the fact that the responsibility for physical protection remained with the management of the plant under current Ukrainian legislation. ”.

Workers under pressure

Since March 4, the usual management and staff have continued to operate the plant and do their daily work, but the site has remained under the control of the commander of the Russian forces there.

On August 6, a worker in the area of ​​the spent nuclear fuel storage facility was injured during a shelling. The IAEA team has concluded that staff do not have unlimited access to some areas, such as cooling ponds. The agency is concerned that these restrictions limit access to some places in an emergency.

The mission has also found that the Ukrainian workers operating the plant under military occupation are under constant and high stress and pressure, especially with the limited staff available.

The UN agency warns that this “is not sustainable” and could lead to an increase in human error with implications for nuclear security, calling for workers to be able to perform their important roles without threats or pressure and to be helped to ensure the health of staff and their families.



As reported by workers and managers of the Ukrainian plant, 40% of positions in the field of physical protection are unstaffed, which considerably increases the workload of employees. The radiological safety department has 172 people, 93% of the normal workforce, and the rest are on sick leave or have been evacuated.

Regarding emergency preparedness and response, there are 907 people – out of 1,230 under normal conditions – people for three shifts – the plant, however, considers that it is still capable of carrying out this task effectively. To compensate for staff shortages, the shift organization has been changed to three shifts covering 48 hours, instead of the normal four shifts covering 24 hours.



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