Russian shelling at Ukrainian nuclear plant risks 'another Chernobyl'
New ScientistAug 08, 2022
Nearly 400 strikes were launched in the eastern region by Russian forces against Ukrainian troops on Sunday, according to Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "The fiercest battles, as before, are in the Donetsk region," he said in a video address. He continued: "there have been almost 400 artillery attacks in the east since the start of the day."
According to Kyiv-based military analyst Oleh Zhdanov, Russian forces have been attempting to penetrate Ukrainian lines of defense in areas such as Bakhut and Avdiivka, but "to no avail." He added: "We fight back — they suffer huge losses."
Experts have made it clear – the situation at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant presents the threat of another Chernobyl. A nuclear disaster has, miraculously, been avoided so far, but the continuing risks and the safety and effectiveness of staff to control the reactors could have catastrophic consequences.
Although Zaporizhzhia's cooling systems will be relatively vulnerable due to their contact with the outside world, the worst-case scenario would only cause severe damage at a local level. Both Russia and Ukraine are overstating the risk of nuclear catastrophe to galvanize domestic and international support.
There is a 14% chance that there will be a serious radiation incident at any nuclear plant in Ukraine by 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.