Ukraine's Energoatom: A new threat to radiation safety at Zaporizhzhia NPP is possible

NAEC "Energoatom"

Viktoria Lytovchenko

At the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), controlled by the Russian occupiers, the six-year shelf life of nuclear fuel in all six reactors the manufacturer allows will soon expire.

What is known about the new radiation safety threat at the ZNPP

According to the "Energoatom" chairman Petro Kotin, the further operation of such fuel violates the terms of the technical specifications established, taking into account safety standards.

This can lead to the destruction of the integrity of the fuel cells. As a result, a new threat to nuclear and radiation safety may arise at the ZNPP, he warns.

Kotin also draws attention to the fact that the efforts of the Russian invaders to alternately transfer the power units of the station from the state of "cold shutdown" to "hot shutdown" further destabilize the situation.

Not to mention the flagrant violation of the terms of the licenses of the State Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the operation of these nuclear facilities, that is, at the same time, the requirements of Ukrainian and international legislation, he emphasised.

The situation at the ZNPP occupied by Russia's troops

It is worth noting that Russian troops occupied the largest Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Europe in the spring of 2022. The invaders placed military equipment on the territory of the ZNPP. During the entire period of occupation, the station was disconnected from the energy system of Ukraine several times.

Earlier, Energoatom noted that repeated "blackouts" at the ZNPP could threaten nuclear and radiation safety for Ukraine and other countries.

Additionally, in December 2023, the IAEA stated that the ZNPP depended on a single transmission line for several days to supply the necessary electricity needed to cool the six reactors and other critical nuclear safety functions.

Recently, the representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, Andriy Yusov, stated that the Russian occupiers have turned the ZNPP into a military facility.

On January 20, the IAEA head, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said that the Russians had laid mines on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

Also, in November 2023, Energoatom reported that at the ZNPP interventionist personnel were damaging equipment important for the station's safety. There was a risk