From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Ukraine warns 48 hours until radiation leaks after power lost at Chernobyl
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Ukraine’s foreign minister says reserve diesel generators can power the Chernobyl nuclear plant for 48 hours after power was knocked out, warning that after that radiation leaks were “imminent.”
“Reserve diesel generators have a 48-hour capacity to power the Chornobyl NPP. After that, cooling systems of the storage facility for spent nuclear fuel will stop, making radiation leaks imminent,” tweets Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
“Putin’s barbaric war puts entire Europe in danger. He must stop it immediately,” says Kuleba, calling for pressure on Russia to allow repairs to be made.
Reserve diesel generators have a 48-hour capacity to power the Chornobyl NPP. After that, cooling systems of the storage facility for spent nuclear fuel will stop, making radiation leaks imminent. Putin’s barbaric war puts entire Europe in danger. He must stop it immediately! 2/2
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 9, 2022
Ukrainian grid operator Ukrenerho says that according to the national nuclear regulator, all Chernobyl facilities are without power and the diesel generators have fuel for 48 hours. Without power the “parameters of nuclear and radiation safety” cannot be controlled, it says.
The cause of the damage to the power line serving Chernobyl was not immediately clear, but it comes amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The site has been under control of Russian troops since last week.
Agencies contributed to this report
The Times of Israel Community.