Is another Chernobyl disaster in the making? Concerns mount as repairs stop on plant
Nearly a month after Russian soldiers seized the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, there are concerns mounting that an accident could happen at any time. On March 13, The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that repair and maintenance of safety-related equipment were no longer being carried out by plant workers, which it called "dire".
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made no attempts to hide his threat to resort to nuclear weapons, but Russia's arsenal isn't the only nuclear concern to emerge from the war. Russian troops also set fire to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant when they attacked the facility, sparking explosion concerns before it was put out days later. Shortly after that, Russia turned to the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology, which is powered by atomic energy.
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The brutal and deadly attacks, with little regard for the consequences, have had Europe and the world on edge for weeks, and now it appears there's a new concern. Since taking over the Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia plants, the Russians have allegedly forced staff to work on as little as one meal and just a few hours of sleep each day, the result of which has led to gross negligence of the facilities.
Will Chernobyl explode again?
On March 13, the IAEA confirmed that "The Ukrainian regulator informed the IAEA that staff at Chernobyl were no longer carrying out repair and maintenance of safety-related equipment." The IAEA added, "It is in part due to their physical and psychological fatigue after working non-stop for nearly three weeks." Reportedly, 211 technical personnel and guards have not been allowed to switch shifts since the Chernobyl plant was captured, meaning they have been solely responsible for its operation for the best part of the last month.
The IAEA's Director General Rafael Grossi called the situation "increasingly dire" and voiced concerns that "we can't afford to lose more time." The urgency to his tone indicated that the agency is severely concerned about another accident at Chernobyl, and that's not the only concern they have. On March 11, Ukraine lost all contact with the facility shortly after Russia cut off Chernobyl's electricity supply.
Keeping the power on is critical because the electricity keeps spent nuclear fuel cool and prevents it from leaking. The plant does have a backup generator but was only expected to last 48 hours at most. Russia's move caused the IAEA to issue a warning of a mass radiation leak, but it appears those fears have since been allied after Ukraine managed to restore the power. The plant will be connected back to Ukraine's power grid by March 14.
However, the news isn't being celebrated just yet. "I remain gravely concerned about safety and security at Chornobyl and Ukraine's other nuclear facilities," Grossi added. The agency has also been receiving intermittent data from Zaporizhzhia, which is Europe's largest nuclear facility. The IAEA has put forward a proposal to both Ukraine and Russia that would allow it to deliver assistance if approved, but so far there's no confirmation on whether it has been.
Even though Chernobyl is no longer a working facility, it is home to tons of radioactive waste. The concerns are greater at other facilities, which so far have not seen issues with power supply.