Russian forces seize huge Ukrainian nuclear plant, fire extinguished

[muriel_volestrangler]

Last edited Fri Mar 4, 2022, 04:30 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: Reuters

LVIV, Ukraine, March 4 (Reuters) - Russian forces seized the largest nuclear power plant in Europe after a building at the complex was set ablaze during intense fighting with Ukrainian defenders, Ukrainian authorities said on Friday.

Fears of a potential nuclear disaster at the Zaporizhzhia plant had spread alarm across world capitals, before authorities said the fire in a building identified as a training centre, had been extinguished.

U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said there was no indication of elevated radiation levels at the plant, which provides more than a fifth of Ukraine's total electricity generation.
...
Earlier, a video from the plant verified by Reuters showed one building aflame, and a volley of incoming shells, before a large candescent ball lit up the sky, exploding beside a car park and sending smoke billowing across the compound.


Read more: https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/top-wrap-1-europes-largest-nuclear-power-plant-fire-after-russian-attack-mayor-2022-03-04/

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Updated story - earlier excerpt was:

BORODYANKA/LVIV, Ukraine, March 4 (Reuters) - The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the largest of its kind in Europe, was on fire early on Friday after an attack by Russian troops, the mayor of the nearby town of Energodar said.

There has been fierce fighting between local forces and Russian troops, Dmytro Orlov said in an online post, adding that there had been casualties without giving details.

Earlier, Ukrainian authorities reported Russian troops were stepping up efforts to seize the plant and had entered the town with tanks.

"As a result of continuous enemy shelling of buildings and units of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is on fire," Orlov said on his Telegram channel, citing what he called a threat to world security. He did not give derails.

Though there is then the proviso that "Reuters could not immediately verify the information.", but getting verified reports from small towns rather than big cities can't be easy.

[applegrove]

1. F PUTIN!

[applegrove]

10. Fighting still going on at nuclear plant. Firefighters can't get in.

[Irish_Dem]

2. Fear of nuclear attack stopped us from helping Ukraine. Maybe we will get it anyway.

[Kali]

3. fuck!

hope it is out buildings or other non critical structures.

[EndlessWire]

33. What did the Russians do at Chernobyl?

They captured 96 plant workers and kept them hostage. Does the world trust Putin to be able to handle a working plant, one that was just recently disconnected? Does he have enlisted troops who are nuclear trained to deal with stuff like that? Or, does he have green troops who just shoot?

That thing doesn't just sit there. If the firefighters "can't get in to fight the fire"...where the hell is the fire, what kind of battle is going on, and who's minding the baby?

[Kali]

34. there have been updates on this situation

things less dire and more or less under control, at least for now. scroll through GD for more info.

[dchill]

4. Live cams:

[yaesu]

5. lots of car alarms going off in the parking lot do to the nearby explosion

but they seemed to have stopped.

[Stuart G]

6. Thank You for posting...K and R Another Mistake by Putin. (if this report is correct)

[msongs]

7. fire at the plant vs plant on fire. maybe not the same thing nt

[Journeyman]

24. It's a distinction of great import . . .

Let us hope it's an issue of translation or an error caused by confusion and the excitement of the moment.

[gab13by13]

12. It appears to me the wind direction is opposite of that,

it is from the east.

[gab13by13]

9. If this plant blows it would be 10 times worse than Chernobyl.

Elevated levels of radiation are being reported at the plant.

Which way is the prevailing wind?

If this disaster were to happen it would be a regional disaster beyond the border of Ukraine.

[gab13by13]

11. Ukraine has just asked the West (NATO)

to close the skies over the power plant. This statement however has not been verified.

I believe the wind direction is from the east, so it would blow away from Russia.

[Backseat Driver]

13. Appears to show wind changing TO from the west on Sunday.

https://windy.app/forecast2/spot/100052/Kiev+Ukraine/map#:~:text=Today%E2%80%99s%20weather%20report%20for%20Kiev%20Ukraine%3A%20The%20temperature,3%20m%2Fs%20with%20gusts%20up%20to%206%20m%2Fs.

Fuck that bastard - get him NOW - NATO, UN, OR NOT!

[gab13by13]

14. Shep Smith just reported that

the radiation would reach Italy and France, if the plant exploded, and Russia.

The radiation levels at the plant are not dangerous right now according to reports from CNBC.

[Igel]

16. "Shep Smith"?

There's a name I haven't heard for many, many a year.

[gab13by13]

31. At least he got out of Fox.

[AntiFascist]

15. I think it's time to setup the no-fly zone, as this is now directly threatening Europe...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/craighooper/2021/12/28/a-ukraine-invasion-will-go-nuclear-15-reactors-are-in-the-war-zone/?sh=17a358427aaf

The same would be true of Zaporizhzhia. If the reactors are damaged in late December or early January, the prevailing winds are from Siberia, and weather patterns can be expected to push dangerous levels of caesium-137 and other contaminants directly to the west. The fallout will contaminate Ukraine’s key waterway, Europe’s breadbasket, and potentially—depending on the contamination types and weather patterns—compromising drinking water supplies across Europe. Of course, nature is a fickle partner, and, if Putin’s invaders spark an uncontrollable meltdown, the winter winds will eventually change, pushing radiation over the Donbass region and into Russia.

[TomWilm]

36. A no-fly zone enforced by who?

... nobody want to upgrade this war to NATO- or US-level. And Russia is as scared as you and me for nuclear leaks. What Russia want is to control the power, and they do this by the power plants. If these are nuclear plants or not, is not important for the move.

[AntiFascist]

39. The UN with anti-missile systems, at least at the nuclear reactor sites...

on behalf of the IAEA which is now getting involved. I know, Russia would probably veto if it came before the security council, which is why they need to be removed from it.

https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/military

[TomWilm]

40. NATO will now officially not do that ...

https://www.politico.eu/article/nato-wont-establish-no-fly-zone-over-ukraine-jens-stoltenberg-says/amp/

And since Russia WOULD veto at the security council, IAEA does not have that power, and NATO is out - you will never get that wish fulfilled, sorry!

I would like all of them to stop adding arms to the conflict, and jump directly to the negotiations, which will be the end anyway - but I will not get that wish fulfilled either...

[AntiFascist]

41. The problem with NATO is that it is supported by the US...

and Russia will always argue that the US has no right to become involved in a localized European conflict.

As for Russia and the UN security council, the UN charter actually specifies that the USSR sits on the Security Council, not Russia. The former USSR is now divided and at war with itself. The ONLY reason Russia is considered a superpower, in continuance of the USSR, is because they have inherited much of the nuclear arsenal. Now that Russia is demonstrating that it can use its nuclear arsenal as an excuse to further its terrorist action against Ukraine, the UN desperately needs to reconcile and deal with this, otherwise they are de facto in support of Russia's goal to reform its empire, since Russia has the nukes to back up this goal.

I feel that the UN can act as a peacekeeping, defensive military force without NATO declaring war.

[TomWilm]

42. Yes!

Besides some stupid stuff like the Korean War, the main "military" power of the UN was defensive peacekeeping - done very visibly with "soft hats", the Blue Berets. Now we have this stupid mix-up of Responsibility To Protect, going to shooting wars with tanks and blue helmets...

BTW. Russia and Ukraine are both sitting on inherited seats in the UN, which belonged to their former republic constructions.

[Evolve Dammit]

17. Enough. Intervene FCS. NATO can or we can. Sanctions and tough talk are meaningless. Enough.

Setting nukes on fire, Cruise missiles on residential buildings and killing civilians. Syria, Aleppo, Georgia, Crimea. I am sick of watching this conquest and slaughter for one despots ego.

[Polybius]

19. If we go in, then 3 billion die

We're in a pickle.

[Evolve Dammit]

20. perhaps. Or we let a madman take over Europe as he sees fit with no regard for life.

[Polybius]

26. Two horrible choices to decide

Nuke war is worse than anything though.

[Igel]

18. No, it's hard to verify things at a combat site.

If there's any need for a second, possibly wrong (but closer to the original) source ...

https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-ato/3419567-katastrofa-zaporizkoi-aes-matime-udesatero-bilsi-naslidki-niz-caes-kuleba.html
"Zaporozhzhia NPP (nuclear power plant) will have 10x effect than Chornobyl NPP--Kuleba"
https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-economy/3419564-ukraina-prosila-zakriti-nebo-dla-zapobiganna-adernij-katastrofi-energoatom.html
"Ukraine asks for close air-space to avoid atomic catastrophe-Ukr atomic energy agency".


Upper right hand corner of links have ykr. Click, they usually have English translations. Mostly decent.

As for Ukrinform, https://www.ukrinform.ua/info/about_agency.html

Again, don't do Ukrainian (how rasshist! That's the 9-year-old Ukrainian blend of "fascist" and "rassiya" 'Rossiya, Russia" ... translates suckily, a merger of "Rassiya" and "fashist" 'fascist').

[gab13by13]

21. It looks like there is no immediate danger at the plant,

the reactor where the fire happened was shut down. With that said, Ukraine needs to be able to address the damage and fix it without being shot at.

I was wrong about the wind direction, the radiation would blow into Russia, not that Putin cares about the unwashed.

[gab13by13]

22. Even India and Pakistan who are enemies,

have an agreement that if war breaks out between them they will not attack power plants.

Putin wants to reduce Ukraine to rubble, this attack was no accident.

President Biden is speaking with President Zalenskyy about this right now.

[NCjack]

23. Pres. Biden should inform Putin that this event is a nuclear escalation.

Russia's attack on Unkraine must stop immediately, Russian troops must withdraw from Unkraine, and Europe (including Russia) must send emergency teams to the Zaporizhzhia and Chernobyl Nuclear Plants to bring damaged areas under control.

If he does not immediately agree, NATO must intervene. Otherwise, Putin will escalate until he gets all that he wants or he destroys the world.

[AntiFascist]

25. ...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/mar/03/ukraine-news-russia-war-vladimir-putin-biden-latest-live-updates-kherson-kyiv-kharkiv-refugees-russian-invasion

The Ukrainian State Emergency Service is reporting that radiation and fire safety conditions at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant are “within normal limits”.

An update on the agency’s official Telegram account reads:

As of 02:26 in the city of Energodar at the Zaporozhye NPP, the third power unit was disconnected from the unified energy system (only Unit 4 is operating). Of the six power units, one is currently operating.

Radiation and fire safety conditions at nuclear power plants are within normal limits.

Fire condition at the NPP is normal.”

The agency said a fire broke out in the training building outside the NPP, however the Guardian has been unable to verify these claims.

[wnylib]

28. Thanks for an informative and

factual link.

If Putin does cause damage to nuclear plants that creates high radioactivity, he will be not only receiving the damage in Russia, but will be giving radiation sickness to his own troops in Ukraine.

Are his troops who are fighting at the nuclear plant too dumb to know that this is a suicidal fight if they succeed n creating fallout?

[EndlessWire]

32. "As of 02:26"

I think that's odd. They disconnected from the unified energy system at 02:26?? Today?

"Fire condition at the NPP is normal." The fire was at an outside building. But, they are fighting there.

Ah, geez, okay, how many nuclear plants and nuclear facilities does Ukraine actually have? The Russians are not being sensible about nuclear power plants. As a group, we know that Ukraine gave up its nukes in exchange for a worthless piece of paper signed by UK, US, and Russia to protect them against outside enemies. Now it appears that Russia plans to capture anything nuclear.

Putin is the threat here. If they are actually fighting, who is minding the store? Thing doesn't tend itself.

[monkeyman1]

27. this shit is beyond NATO- th world need's to step & halt this !!!

[wnylib]

30. How? Without causing more nuclear damage to the world?

[yaesu]

29. This is a game changer though conditions at the plant are stable, This is an attack on Europe

The Prime Minister said the reckless actions of President Putin could now directly threaten the safety of all of Europe

Link to tweet

[berniesandersmittens]

35. Thank you for keeping this updated

Kick

[jaxexpat]

37. I've always been very much anti-nuclear powered electrical energy generation.

But NOT because electricity can shock you. Though, it can. My prejudice stems from an Omni magazine article I read in the early 70's where a nuclear physicist explained that even common metal tools left in "near-enough, long-enough" proximity to the radioactive mass would require entombment along with the entire facility for, essentially, eternity when the plant was closed. The source went on to describe how many thousands of cy's of lead lined steel-reinforced concrete would be required to cover it as well as the practical impossibility of preventing seepage into the ground-water table and that the entire closed facility would require guards to police the site for at least 25,000 years. And so on. To me, aside from the job security for rent-a-cops, the whole idea seemed a ridiculous farce with a downside soooooo HUGE that the short-term upside was so miniscule, as to be non-existent. The contemporary subject of concern in 1971 was how to close and secure the radioactive materials danger existent at the US's first experimental nuclear generating facility. I think it was in New Jersey. They didn't have a feasible, working plan to safely turn it off and close the site. I don't know what happened with that pretty "dirty" stuff, ultimately, but I suspect the worst of it is still in "temporary" secure storage somewhere.

And here, of course, we have the social disruption of war and its explosive violence threatening containment at every turn. It won't end well because it can't. Murphy's law will intercede at some point. It always does.

[muriel_volestrangler]

38. Ukraine reports deaths from nuclear plant fire

Several people have been killed or injured in the fire that broke out from Russian shelling of a Ukrainian nuclear power plant, Ukraine’s foreign affairs ministry says.
...
But if the process for cooling the nuclear fuel inside the power units is disturbed, there could be widescale radioactive damage.

“Thousands of people – including civilians who are currently unable to evacuate the area near the plant due to ongoing shelling and fighting – would be hurt by this,” the statement says.
...
“Russia has consciously undertaken an armed attack on the nuclear power site, an action that violated all international agreements within the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency],” the statement adds.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-60532634?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=62220d050ce87e491a0ee097%26Ukraine%20reports%20deaths%20from%20nuclear%20plant%20fire%262022-03-04T13%3A01%3A32.410Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:6aa17cbd-b100-469f-9473-6dbdd90f238d&pinned_post_asset_id=62220d050ce87e491a0ee097&pinned_post_type=share