Ukraine, attack on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. Kiev: “Under Russian control”

Rome, 4 March 2022 – War in Ukraine: it was the night of nuclear terror andChernobyl nightmare, after the attack to the central Of Zaporizhzhia, the largest in Europe, e to the fire what followed. As the last statement of Putin: “We will not stop”. The Ukrainian Nuclear Energy Authority says that theRussian army has occupied the site, ensuring that there has been no radiation leak.

At 1.29 the agencies had raised the alarm of the mayor of Zaporizhazhia, in southeastern Ukraine. Dmitry Orlov, on his Telegram account wrote: “As a result of the continuous enemy bombardment of buildings of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporiya nuclear power plant is on fire ”. The plant is the fifth largest in the world, it is located near Enerhodar, on the banks of the Kachovka reservoir on the Dnieper River. The site would have been hit by a missile. There were hours of panic, then the first reassurances arrived. Fire under control and “normal” level of radiation, the UN International Atomic Energy Agency announced in a tweet at dawn. The director general of the IAEA, Grossi, then announced that he will hold a press conference at 10.30 today on the situation.

Nuclear terror

Russia resorts to “nuclear terror” by striking a nuclear power plant for the first time in history: “it wants to repeat the Chernobyl catastrophe”. So the Ukrainian president Zelensky. Meanwhile expected a third meeting between the delegations of Kiev and Moscow. And agreement was reached on the creation of humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians. “I am very worried for the situation of the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia ”, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Grossi, wrote later in Tweeter, adding that he had spoken with the Ukrainian prime minister, Denys Shmygal. “The IAEA – adds Grossi – is monitoring the situation very closely, in contact with Ukrainian operators and regulatory authorities. I appeal to the parties to refrain from actions that could endanger nuclear plants ”.

But in the meantime, diplomacy gives way to missiles, bombings and clashes in focus not only in the cities but also, precisely, around the strategic objectives marked in red (perhaps for some time) on the Russian ‘maps’. Like the Zaporizhzhia power plant which generates approximately the half of the electricity produced by Kiev from nuclear sources and over a fifth of the total electricity that Ukraine produces. The plant generates 40-42 billion kWh, which represents a fifth of the average annual electricity production in Ukraine and nearly 47% of the electricity generated by the country’s nuclear power plants. In 1980, the gradual construction of the power units of the plant began. In the period from 1984 to 1987, four engines were put into operation. Even the markets have suffered this night of fighting and panic: thud of futures on the lists of Wall Street and European stock exchanges and sharply decreasing opening for Asian stock exchanges.

Anxiety night

It has been hours of anxiety. At 5.20 (local time) i emergency services of Ukraine explained that they had obtained access to the plant to “put out the fire in the training building”, as they wrote on Facebook, noting that 40 people and 10 vehicles were involved in the operation.
After the attack, the world woke up with the collapse of Asian stock exchanges.
But what are the consequences? The fire did not affect “essential” equipment, the International Atomic Energy Agency (Aiea) wrote on Twitter after being informed by the Ukrainian authorities. The Kiev regulator told the IAEA that no changes in radiation levels at the site have been reported. At 3.32 am the agencies had broken the news: “The director of the plant said that nuclear safety is now guaranteed. According to the plant managers, a building and a laboratory were hit by the fire ”. So wrote on Facebook Oleksandr Starukh, head of the military administration of the Zaporizhzhia region.

The reaction of the West

It was a night of phone calls between the world‘s greats and the Ukrainian president. The British Prime Minister, Boris Johnsontold Volodymyr Zelensky that “the reckless actions of President Putin could now threaten the security of the whole of Europe“. The BBC writes, quoting a spokesman for Downing Street. Johnson, the spokesman said, assured that he wanted to do “all he can to ensure that the situation does not degenerate further”, adding that he wanted to summon a new UN Security Council. Johnson and Zelensky finally agreed on the urgency of a ceasefire.
Zelensky also heard the US president by telephone during the night. Joe Biden then urged Russia to cease fire on the plant.

The Russian advance

The Russian pincer it tightens more and more. The Moscow offensive gives no respite, as evidenced by the night’s battle for control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.