If the power fails at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, there is a risk of a meltdown. The danger is real, says an expert. Then it could also hit Germany.
Zaporizhia – Many Europeans are currently concerned about the Ukraine conflict. You ask yourself: How far would Russian President Vladimir Putin* go if in doubt? Doesn’t he even shy away from a nuclear war? In fact, another nuclear danger is currently much more real – and in the worst case could also affect us.
Experts are worried for a variety of reasons right now. First: The Ukrainian nuclear ruins of Chernobyl and Zaporizhia, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, have been attacked and occupied by Russians. So Russian forces are now in control and command of the facilities. Second: There is currently no contact with either nuclear facility, the monitoring systems of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are down. The IAEA also cannot reach the nuclear power plants by telephone, e-mail or fax – and is very concerned about this. Third: The former Chernobyl nuclear power plant was cut off from the power supply. The same could happen in Zaporizhia, and that fact is putting experts on the alert.
Our colleagues uncover why an expert assesses the danger in the Ukrainian nuclear power plants as high and what a meltdown would mean for Germany.
But first to the situation in Chernobyl: During the shelling in the area of the former nuclear power plant on February 24th, 2022, power lines were destroyed. This was announced by the Ukrainian network operator Ukrenerho. The fighting of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers north of Kyiv is currently preventing all repair work. The lack of power supply is a problem. Since the catastrophe in the nuclear power plant in 1986, radioactive waste has been stored there.
The bad news: The Chernobyl situation is not the only nuclear problem in Ukraine. Because exactly the danger that is currently seen with Chernobyl – no contact and no control options, occupied by Russians, threat of power failure – also exists in Zaporizhia. Although there is no acute risk of a nuclear catastrophe here either, Wolfgang Raskob fears that this could change quickly in the Ukraine war. *kreiszeitung.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
