Russian control of Ukraine nuclear plant threatens national power supply: analyst
- Hit on Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant compromised station’s physical integrity, IAEA chief says
- Continued electricity and water supply to cooling system essential to safe operation of the plant, analyst says
Nuclear specialists said the war could threaten Ukraine’s ability to ensure its nuclear plants operated safely and continued to supply power to the grid.
Zhao Tong, a Beijing-based senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said there were major uncertainties.
“I believe Russian leaders know of the seriousness of the problem, but in wartime, in the midst of war, would soldiers on the ground systematically and accurately understand these concerns and strictly ensure that they are addressed?” Zhao said. “That’s greatly uncertain.”
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Ukraine says Russia has taken control of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant
Citing information from the Ukrainian nuclear regulator and plant operators, IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi said a projectile of an unknown type hit a training centre next to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant’s six reactors on Thursday and caused a fire that was eventually put out.