Nuclear catastrophe? See what is known about the possible ‘explosion’ of Europe’s largest power plant due to lack of water

The dam explosion at the Kakhovka dam, located in Ukraine and under the control of Russia, generated an alert regarding a risk of nuclear catastrophe, since the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, Zaporizhia, is 150 kilometers away from the site and needs water to cool the fuel in its cores. Even with the reactors shut down, as they are currently, this measure is still necessary. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), there is no immediate danger and its experts are monitoring the situation. However, according to information from the Ukrainian newspaper ‘The Kyiv Independent’, the plant’s current safety is due to a cooling pond dedicated to it, however, it warns that if something happens, it runs the risk of a nuclear catastrophe greater than that of Chernobyl. According to information from Energoatom, a state-owned nuclear company, for the time being there is enough water, and the lagoon can supply the plant’s needs for ‘a few months’. Zaporizhia, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, is located in an area occupied by Russian forces since the invasion they launched in February 2022. The plant’s director, Yuri Chernichuk, appointed by the Russian occupiers, stated that “there are currently no threats” to the security of the installation.

The Kakhovka dam was destroyed this Tuesday morning (Monday night in Brasilia) and there is no evidence about the authorship of the attack that corrupted the place. Russia and Ukraine exchange accusations. The destruction left several municipalities flooded – around 80 cities could be affected – and is forcing the evacuation of thousands of people in the south of the country. According to the Ukrainian operator Ukrhydroenergo, the power plant linked to the Kakhovka dam is completely destroyed. “The plant cannot be restored, it is completely destroyed. She also informed that within two to four days, the reservoir will cease to exist and warned that the peak of flooding should happen this Wednesday, 7th, and within four to five days there will be a stabilization of flood levels in the affected areas. “So far, 24 locations in Ukraine have been flooded,” said Interior Minister Igor Klymenko, and more than 17,000 civilians had to be evacuated from the flooded areas, according to prosecutor Andrii Kostin. “More than 40,000 people could be in flooded areas. Unfortunately, more than 25,000 civilians are in Russian-held territory,” Ukrainian prosecutor Andrii Kostin said on Twitter. A high-ranking official installed by the Russians in the part of the Kherson region (southern) under their control announced the withdrawal of about 900 people from the occupied areas near the Dnieper River.