TO Maxim T’sjoen
Published on 6 Mar 22 at 19:50 Actu See my news Follow this media
The Rivne Nuclear Power Plant is located in northwestern Ukraine, near the Styr River, about 400 kilometers from Kyiv. (©iryna_l / Adobe Stock)
The nuclear threat is real, the war in Ukraine reminded us of that. But if we often think of atomic weapons, the Russian bombing of the Zapri nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, reminds us that the bomb is not not the only threat.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of “nuclear terror” and the desire to “repeat” the worst Chernobyl disaster in history in 1986.
What could be the consequences if a bomb provokes a nuclear catastrophe in Ukraine? We tried to find out.
Why the atomic bomb is not the biggest danger
Vladimir Putin’s warning about his nuclear deterrent on Sunday, February 27, 2022, raised fears of the worst. Nuclear war, which, obviously, will be devastating for the entire Earth.
Patrice Bouvray, French spokesman for the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and director of the Arms Observatory, does not believe however, not to its use in this dispute.
He [Vladimir Poutine] is not suicide. He wants to expand his territory, to show his strength, but he does not want to be wiped off the face of the earth.
Patrice BouvreICAN Representative and Director of the Arms Observatory
According to him, the danger comes from “normal” bombardment » nuclear facilities.
This Friday, March 4, Russian tanks hit the plant and set fire to the training building and laboratory. If, in the opinion of the Ukrainian authorities, no leakage of radioactive substances was found, then during the minutes of this assault, anxiety only increased. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) finally indicated that no “major” equipment was damaged.
Video: now on Actu
The Russians have took control of the factoryeven if his work is “insured”.
What are the risks?
Ukraine has 15 nuclear reactors located at four sites.
Russian bombs and missiles can certainly hit a nuclear reactor, but there are a few risks. “The missile could have hit a high voltage line, or even a cooling circuit, or even a rail,” recalls Patrice Bouvre.
So many risks of potential disaster if the core of the reactor can no longer be cooled. In this case, the accident can be compared to the Fukushima accident on March 11, 2011.
What influence in France? And in another place?
It all depends on the accident. But what is certain and what is feared is that the explosion will be dramatic.
An explosion in Ukraine will have consequences for the entire planet.
Patrice BouvreICAN Representative and Director of the Arms Observatory
“If there is an explosion, this is the end of everything. End of Europe. This is the evacuation of Europe,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “We must prevent the death of Europe from a nuclear catastrophe. »
Because in addition to the serious danger of a reactor explosion for nearby residents and employees, the radioactive cloud would clearly not be limited to the borders of Ukraine. ” radiation will affect the population and environment of other countries“, – notes Patrice Bouvre. The cloud will not stop at the borders and can affect the whole of Europe.
However, this impossible to measure radiation what could have happened as a result of the accident. Everything will depend on the amount of radioactive material dispersed in the environment. Impacts outside of the potential explosion zone will also depend on climatic conditions, “and especially on the wind,” the ICAN spokesman said. ” Everyone can be at risk. »
Chernobyl, the worst civilian nuclear disaster
On April 26, 1986, at 01:23, reactor No. 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded. This accident remains to this day the most serious ever to occur at a civilian nuclear facility. The Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety shows in the video that the radioactive plume from Chernobyl has spread radioactive elements throughout most European countries. Radioactive elements have been found in North America and Japan.
What answer?
If, after the fire in Zaporozhye, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg condemned ” irresponsible explosions“. US President Joe Biden “called on Russia to stop hostilities in the area.”
But at the moment, no direct sanctionon the topic of civil nuclear energy.
In France, the environmental association Robin des Bois is campaigning for “the inviolability of nuclear facilities in theaters of war that international diplomacy has been powerless to avoid.”
White flags on nuclear reactors to avoid a dramatic accident in an already tragic war.
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