The IAEA has stated that six of the seven key pillars of nuclear safety have been violated at the occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. The organization warned about the critical water level in the cooling systems and emphasized the urgent need to build a new pumping station.
This was stated by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi.
According to the head of the IAEA, six of the seven “pillars of nuclear safety” have been violated at the Zaporizhzhya NPP. These are the seven key components of nuclear and physical protection that the IAEA identified at the beginning of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation.
The seven “pillars of nuclear safety”:
- physical integrity;
- equipment integrity;
- no pressure on personnel;
- reliable power supply;
- uninterrupted logistics;
- radiation monitoring;
- functioning communication channels.
As of now, the ZNPP is powered by only one external power line, which poses serious risks. All six reactors are in a cold shutdown state — none of them can be safely restarted.
In addition, the water level in the cooling pool has dropped to 13.4 m, close to the critical threshold of 12 m — beyond which the cooling systems will fail. The IAEA has stated that a pumping station must be built to ensure the stable operation of the cooling systems.
The fighting near the plant is causing serious concern among experts and increasing the risks.
We would like to remind you that Russian dictator Putin recently voiced the idea of allegedly being ready to work with Ukraine and the US at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The Ministry of Energy called this statement an attempt to use the plant as a tool for further warfare.