Attacks on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant put the world “dangerously close to a nuclear accident”

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, is at the center of escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides accusing each other of reckless behavior that risks a major nuclear incident. This contentious issue was brought before the United Nations Security Council on Monday, April 15, 2024, where concerns were raised about the potential for a catastrophic nuclear accident.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reported to the Security Council that three drone attacks had targeted the Zaporizhzhia plant since April 7, 2024. These attacks, Grossi emphasized, pose a significant threat to nuclear safety at a site where operational stability is already severely compromised. “These reckless attacks must cease immediately,” Grossi stated, highlighting that while there has been no radiological incident thus far, the potential for disaster remains high.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, located in a region under Russian control in southeastern Ukraine, includes six nuclear reactors. The facility has been in the international spotlight as the fighting in southern Ukraine nears the site, raising fears reminiscent of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

The ZNPP stopped generating electricity for the national grid in September 2022, but it has kept at least one of its six units in hot shutdown to provide district heating as well as process steam for liquid waste treatment at the site.

This last unit was placed in a cold shutdown state early April 13 — marking the first time since late 2022 that this safety measure has been implemented across all units. The procedure, completed at 07:30 LT for reactor unit 4, involved reducing the reactors’ temperature and pressure, providing a crucial buffer against potential accidents.

Despite these precautions, the situation at the plant remains dangerous.

“The decision to have all six units in cold shutdown is positive in itself, as the cooling down of the reactor provides an additional buffer in case of an accident. But it doesn’t address the fundamental issue of a recent sharp deterioration of the situation at the plant. Without a doubt, nuclear safety and security at this major nuclear facility remains very precarious,” Grossi said.

On April 11, several days after a series of drone attacks had “significantly” increased the risk of a nuclear accident at the site, Grossi called for maximum military restraint and full observance of the five principles for protecting ZNPP. This was the first time since November 2022 that the ZNPP was directly targeted in military action. It also represented a clear violation of the five principles aimed at protecting the facility established in May 2023.

The five principles established to help ensure nuclear safety and security at ZNPP are:

1. There should be no attack of any kind from or against the plant, in particular targeting the reactors, spent fuel storage, other critical infrastructure, or personnel;
2. ZNPP should not be used as storage or a base for heavy weapons (i.e. multiple rocket launchers, artillery systems and munitions, and tanks) or military personnel that could be used for an attack from the plant;
3. Off-site power to the plant should not be put at risk. To that effect, all efforts should be made to ensure that off-site power remains available and secure at all times;
4. All structures, systems and components essential to the safe and secure operation of ZNPP should be protected from attacks or acts of sabotage;
5. No action should be taken that undermines these principles.

Although the strikes on April 7 did not cause damage compromising nuclear safety and security at the ZNPP, they marked a “major escalation” of the dangers, Grossi said.

The potential risks were underlined again on the morning of April 13, when the team of IAEA experts stationed at the site reported hearing sixteen rounds of outgoing artillery fire in less than half an hour – some at near distance, others further away but still clearly audible.

Addressing an extraordinary meeting of IAEA’s Board of Governors on April 11, Grossi said it was of paramount importance to ensure that “these reckless attacks do not mark the beginning of a new and gravely dangerous front of the war”.

“I firmly appeal to military decision makers to abstain from any action violating the IAEA’s five concrete principles to prevent a nuclear accident and ensure the integrity of the plant and I urge the international community actively to work towards a de-escalation of what is a very serious situation,” Grossi said.

References:

¹ IAEA warns that attacks on a nuclear plant in Russian-controlled Ukraine put the world at risk – AP – April 16, 2024

² Update 223 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine – IAEA – April 13, 2024

Featured image credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers. Acquired on April 10, 2024