KURCHATOV, Russia (Reuters) -A nuclear plant in western Russia, the place combating is raging between Russian and Ukrainian forces, is particularly weak to a severe accident as a result of it lacks a protecting dome that would protect it from missiles, drones or artillery, the top of the U.N. nuclear watchdog stated on Tuesday.
Rafael Grossi, director common of the Worldwide Atomic Power Company, spoke after visiting the plant within the Kursk area, the place Ukrainian forces pierced the border in a lightning incursion on Aug. 6 and Russia remains to be battling to eject them.
Grossi advised reporters that the RBMK-type facility – the identical mannequin because the Chornobyl plant in Ukraine that witnessed the world’s worst civilian nuclear catastrophe in 1986 – lacks the containment dome and protecting construction that’s typical of contemporary nuclear energy stations.
“This means that the core of the reactor containing nuclear material is protected just by a normal roof. This makes it extremely exposed and fragile, for example, to an artillery impact or a drone or a missile,” he stated.
“So this is why we believe that a nuclear power plant of this type, so close to a point of contact or a military front, is an extremely serious fact that we take very seriously.”
Grossi stated it might be an exaggeration to equate Kursk with Chornobyl, the place an accident brought on a lethal explosion that spewed a radioactive cloud over elements of japanese Europe.
“But this is the same type of reactor and there is no specific protection. And this is very, very important. If there is an impact on the core, the material is there and the consequences could be extremely serious.”
Whereas a typical containment dome might resist an affect as highly effective as that of a falling plane, Grossi stated, the Kursk design was “completely different”.
“This is like the building across the street, all right? With all this nuclear material. So this is why I’m drawing this comparison, because I think it’s relevant.”
DRONE IMPACT
Ukraine has but to answer an accusation final week by Russian President Vladimir Putin that it tried to assault the Kursk plant.
“I was informed about the impact of drones. I was shown some of the remnants of those and signs of the impact they had,” Grossi stated, with out saying who was accountable.
He stated the aim of his go to was to attract the world’s consideration to the state of affairs and to say that “basically never, ever, must or should a nuclear power plant be attacked in any way.”
For a lot of the Russia-Ukraine warfare, Grossi’s focus has been on the security of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the place Russian forces took management within the first weeks of the combating. Since then, both sides has accused the opposite of shelling it.
Consideration shifted to Kursk, a serious Soviet-era station, after Ukraine launched its incursion three weeks in the past. Combating has taken place inside about 40 km (25 miles) of the ability.
Of the plant’s 4 reactors, two older ones have been shut down and one was disconnected from the grid on Sunday for upkeep, leaving one nonetheless operational. Two extra are underneath building.
“When a plant is operating, the temperature is much higher, and if there was the case of an impact or something that could affect it, there would be serious consequences,” stated Grossi, who all through the warfare has warned each Russia and Ukraine to chorus from actions that would set off a nuclear accident.
Within the city of Kurchatov, the place the plant is situated, residents interviewed by Reuters stated they had been assured in Russia’s defences.
“There are concerns, of course. It is happening here, at our borders. We have faith in our soldiers. We know we will win, no matter what,” stated Maxim, 25, who declined to present his final title.
Liliya, out strolling along with her youngsters, stated they had been generally frightened.
“Sometimes it can be quite loud, the kids were worried at first, but I explained to my older daughter that we are being protected, the air defence system is activated, it means everyone is informed, we are under protection,” she stated.
“We clearly have good defenders, thank God they are coping.”