War in Ukraine and Nuclear Power Plants – Critical Situation Continues
Two and half years have passed since Russia launched its military invasion against Ukraine. There have been a great number of casualties on both sides. Russia is waging a war of aggression that is impermissible in international law and is bringing about a humanitarian crisis. Russia must withdraw from Ukraine immediately.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station (6 units, 6 million kW in total), the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, was occupied by Russian troops soon after the war started. The plant, which is still under Russian military control, was kept running until September 2022. After all the reactors were shut down, Units 1 and 2 were kept under HST (hot shutdown) for a while to supply heat to the plant facilities and the neighboring city of Nederhodar. However, the reactors have now been switched to cold shutdown.
Multiple high-voltage transmission lines supplying external power to the Zaporizhzhia NPS, have been repeatedly cut and repaired. It has been mentioned in every IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) report that the resident specialists have been hearing frequent machine gun and rifle fire.
On June 6, 2023, the Kakhovka Dam collapsed and consequently the dam lake disappeared. The lake was also a water source for the Zaporizhzhia NPS. Both Ukraine and Russia blame each other for the attack on the Kakhovka Dam and the cause of the collapse still remains unclear. Nevertheless, the only thing we are certain of is that it was caused as a result of the Russian invasion.
Satellite picture of the Zaporizhzhia NPS and its surrounding area of August 2021 (before the invasion) and of August 2024 shows the disappearance of the dam lake.
Currently, groundwater from 11 wells dug after the dam collapse is providing cooling water. 250m³ of water is supplied in every hour to the essential cooling water sprinkler ponds. In addition, the Zaporizhzhia NPS has a huge cooling pool with a circumference of 10 km. Although this cooling pool is not used at present, the water level is declining day by day due to the summer heat and it has been reported that there is a possibility that water intake from this cooling pool will become difficult.
Above images are Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) of the area around the cooling pool taken by Sentinel-2 from January 2024 to August 2024. Continuous images show increase in land area. Also steams from the cooling towers can be confirmed on the images taken until around March.
On August 11, IAEA announced that there had been an outbreak of fire at No.1 of the two cooling towers. Ukraine claimed that the fire was due to arson by Russia. On the other hand, Russia claimed the fire was caused by a Ukraine drone attack. At first, information such as the Russian military was burning old tires in the area was being spread. However, based on their field survey, IAEA reported that the damage was focused on the upper part of the cooling tower, hence it is unlikely the fire broke out near the base of the tower. Although it is said that the cooling tower is not being used for cooling, the situation remains hazardous regardless of which side or action caused the fire.
According to an IAEA report, there was an explosion caused by a drone in the area close to the essential cooling water sprinkler ponds on August 17. The area is also about 100m from the only remaining 750 kV line providing power to the Zaporizhzhia NPS. Luckly, there was no damage to safety-related facilities. It was also reported that on August 10, the substation in Enerhodar City near the Zaporizhzhia NPS was attacked with artillery causing a blackout across the city. It is said that there have been frequent air-raid alerts and drone attacks occurring at other NPPs in Ukraine.
With the incursion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, the Russian military have been reinforcing the guard for the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. According to the BBC, the Russian army is building defensive lines around the NPPs. Satellite photographs confirm that a base has been built at a distance of 16 km from the NPP.
Area around the Kursk NPP. Photo taken in August shows the base built mainly by E38 highway which was not present in July 2024. (Liner structure built in farmland) Shortest distance from the Kursk NPP is about 7 km.
The Kursk Nuclear Power Plant consists of four RBMK reactors (Reactor Bolshoy Moshchnosti Kanalnyy) (1 million kW capacity each, two of which are now being decommissioned). Kursk II NPP, where two of the latest VVER-TOI units (PWR, capacity 1.255 million kW) are under construction, also stands close by. The RBMK is a graphite-moderated light-water-cooled reactor which is of similar design to the Chernobyl Power Plant. As the RBMK do not have a containment vessel, if an accident occurs, there is a possibility that radioactive substances will be released directly to the atmosphere.
The Kursk Nuclear Power Plants. On the lower side is the Kursk I NPP and in the upper area there is the Kursk II NPP in construction, can be seen.
Russia is claiming that Ukraine is targeting the Kursk NPPs. On August 22, a report to the IAEA said that there was a drone attack on the Kursk NPPs and drone remains were found on the premises. Ukraine criticized this as Russian propaganda.
Regardless of whether there are intentions to attack nuclear power plants or not, warfare in areas surrounding NPPs can cause a massive release of radioactive materials and are therefore extremely dangerous acts. Even attacks not aimed directly at NPPs, if power lines to NPPs are cut, the risk of losing external power supply to the plant increases.
Transmission network to the Kursk NPPs openinframap.org/#10.25/51.6385/35.6407
In response to the situation in Kursk Oblast, activities at Zaporizhzhia Oblast are becoming more agitated. A situation in which one wrong step will cause a severe disaster continues. Both Russia and Ukraine should cease all military action near NPPs. Also, once again, Russia should desist from the unlawful war of aggression immediately.
