Russian actions at Zaporizhzhya NPP causing environmental disaster, says nuclear operator
The Zaporizhzhya NPP has been occupied by Russian forces since March (Photo:REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko)
Invading Russian forces’ actions at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) have led to an ecological disaster, Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom reported on the Telegram messenger on Oct. 31.
According to Energoatom, warm water stopped flowing to the power plant’s cooling pond due to the shutdown of the plant’s reactors, resulting in the water temperature falling to about +13 degrees, which had already led to the mass death of the fish there, including warm-water tilapia and Asian catfish, which were brought there about 25 years ago “to ensure ecological purity.”
“The fish perform a sanitary function, destroying green algae and keeping the cooling tubes of the turbine condenser clean,” the company said.
“Given that the (water) temperature never dropped below +18 degrees in winter, the fish multiplied. So if the water temperature in the cooling pond does not rise in the near future, about a thousand tons of dead fish will be washed ashore. Russia is a terrorist country that leaves ruins and carries out a scorched-earth policy!”
Zaporizhzhia NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and has been occupied by Russian forces since March 4. Several ZNPP facilities have been damaged by Russian shelling, and the station's employees are captives of the invading troops.
Russian troops have set up firing positions at the territory of the ZNPP and are shelling Ukrainian cities from there. Energoatom reported that the Russian military placed at least 14 units of heavy military vehicles, loaded with ammunition, weapons and explosives in one of the turbine halls at ZNPP.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has since established a permanent monitoring presence at the facility and called for a demilitarized safety zone to be established around the plant.
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