Currently, there is no detailed information about the technical condition of the equipment at the Zaporizhzhшa nuclear power plant (ZNPP) temporarily occupied by the Russians.
Points of attention
- The technical condition of the equipment at the Russian-occupied nuclear power plant is currently unknown, as repairs and maintenance are not carried out properly.
- Ukraine insists on the withdrawal of the Russian occupiers from the station due to the threat of a nuclear disaster.
- The IAEA recorded a violation of the principles of nuclear safety at the occupied ZNPP, which poses a serious threat to the surrounding environment and the population.
The condition of the equipment at the Russian-occupied ZNNP is currently unknown
The Head of State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU), Oleg Korikov, reported that the detailed technical condition of equipment and safety systems at the Zaporizhia NPP is currently unknown. We are talking about pipelines, machines, mechanisms, and pumping equipment.
According to him, the occupying administration of the station does not fulfill the requirements of safety regulations, does not carry out adequate repairs and maintenance, etc.
Korikov also reminded us that information from the radiation monitoring system at the ZNPP is not currently being sent online to Energoatom and the IAEA. He explained that the system consists of 18 monitoring stations, four out of order.
This reduces our ability to control the radiation condition at the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the surrounding area, emphasid ed SNRIU head.
What is the situation at the ZNPP?
The Russian military occupied the ZNPP at the beginning of March 2022 and has been operating under their control since then. The station was wholly connected to the power grid several times. From September 2022, the IAEA mission is stationed at the station.
Ukraine insists on the withdrawal of the Russian occupiers from the station. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasises that while Russian soldiers are at the ZNPP, "the world remains on the brink of a nuclear catastrophe." Russia refuses to create a demilitarized zone at the ZNPP.
In June 2024, the IAEA stated that all nuclear safety principles were violated at the occupied ZNPP.
