Russia’s Seizure of Nuclear Plants and the Possible High Risks
Published March 2022
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine and has been ruthlessly attacking the country since. From the start, Russia used brutal tactics in an effort to win back Ukraine, land that Russian President Putin claims belongs to Russia. One such brutal tactic is the targeting of Ukrainian nuclear power plants. So far the Russians have seized the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhya, and are near Ukraine’s third plant in Mykolaiv. Due to both history and very recent events, Russia's control over Chernobyl, in specific, is threatening to both humanity and the environment.
In 1986, a reactor at Chernobyl malfunctioned during a safety test, which led to the destruction of the reactor and the whole unit in which the reactor was located. The accident caused fires on the plant, and the malfunction released massive amounts of radioactive material into the environment. Specifically, at least 5% of the radioactive reactor core was released into the environment. Emergency teams dropped tons of sand and boron onto the site to smoother the fires and prevent the release of more radioactive material. Later, the destroyed unit was covered in a concrete structure to limit any further release of radiation. The area within 18 miles of the plant was closed off, and by 2000, all other units at the plant were closed down.
However, the damage caused by the spreading of the radioactive materials could not be stopped. The radiation spread to Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. Eventually, around 315,000 people had to excavate from their homes in the highly contaminated areas. Of the plant’s 600 workers, 28 died from exposure to the radiation while another 106 were diagnosed with acute radiation sickness. Exposure to radiation also showed a link to thyroid cancer. Children and adults living in the area drank milk contaminated with radioactive iodine leading to 6,000 cases of thyroid cancer. Work has been done through recent years to ensure the area is kept safe.
Russia’s recent negligent seizure of Chernobyl raises threats for both people and the environment. On March 9th, electricity to the plant was cut off, leaving possible risks of radiation leaks. Electricity to the plant, powered cooling systems which kept spent nuclear fuel surrounded by water. If this system stopped working, radioactive material would likely begin to leak. There is a diesel run, back-up generator system at the plant, but it only has the capacity to run for about two days. After that, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says radiation leaks are “imminent” if the power lines are not restored. On this point, Kuleba called, "on the entire international community to immediately demand that Russia cease fire and allow repair crews to restore power as soon as possible.” The Minister also tweeted, "Putin's barbaric war puts entire Europe in danger. He must stop it immediately!" The monitoring systems at the plant are also down, meaning the exact status is unknown.
If power is not restored, a radioactive cloud could form, and blow over parts of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. Anyone exposed to this cloud risks getting cancer, among other dangerous radiation side effects. Any personnel at the plant would be exposed to dangerously high doses of radiation, facing the possibility of death. A leak could also lead to possible fires and explosions creating more risks for those onsite and nearby. In terms of the environment, a leak would contaminate the air and water surrounding the plant. Plants and animals nearby may also become contaminated. After the Cherynobyl accident in 1986, mortality increased while reproductiveness decreased for wilderness in the area.
Russia has made it clear in many of their actions, including the recent bombing of a maternity hospital in Southern Ukraine, that they are not afriad to be ruthless and inhumane. Russia’s seizure of nuclear plants, including Chernobyl, show that they are also willing to be careless and criminal.
Sources:
https://sciencing.com/the-effects-of-nuclear-radiation-on-the-environment-13428111.html
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/chernobyl-bg.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-chernobyl-nuclear-plant-russia-power-outage/