Russia, Ukraine tensions over Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant highlight disaster dangers
CBC
Both Russia and Ukraine have warned this week of purported plans by the other to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia could try to make it look as though Ukraine was shelling the nuclear plant, while Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov suggested "the Kyiv regime" could stage a "catastrophic" provocation there.
On Thursday, Russia's foreign ministry said Moscow would respond harshly if such an attack occurred, while Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's military spy chief, said the threat of a Russian attack is now receding.
"The threat is decreasing," Budanov told the Reuters news agency on Thursday, adding that "it's not eliminated" and would persist as long as Europe's largest nuclear plant remained under Russian control.
The war in Ukraine is approaching the 17-month mark and the Zaporizhzhia plant has been under Russian control nearly that entire time.
Russian forces entered Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, capturing the facility barely a week later.
Concerns about a potential nuclear disaster have loomed ever since.
There have been many reports over the course of the war about shelling in and around the Zaporizhzhia plant — and repeated warnings from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the potential for catastrophe.
More recently, the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam last month and the ensuing draining of the Kakhovka reservoir left the plant without its source of cooling water. The IAEA says the complex should have enough water from a separate pond to cool its reactors for "some months."
The wider Zaporizhzhia region is also where some of Ukraine's long-awaited counter-offensive is unfolding.
Last week, Ukrainian emergency workers held a drill to prepare for a potential release of radiation from the Zaporizhzhia plant, where six of the country's 15 nuclear reactors are located.
In case of a nuclear disaster, approximately 300,000 people would be evacuated from the areas closest to the facility, according to the country's emergency services.
This week, Ukraine's health ministry released guidelines to be followed in the event of an emergency and urged residents to pack emergency bags, containing supplies like face masks and food, wrapped in plastic.
It advised people to pay close attention to officials' announcements and to follow any related instructions.