SNRIU: “After the drone strike, the issue of unstable structures at ChNPP becomes critical”
Kyiv • UNN
A Russian drone damaged the protective “Arch” at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, creating a hole and causing a fire. The damage disrupted the insulation functions, and the unstable structures inside the facility now pose an increased risk.
As a result of a Russian drone attack on the Chornobyl nuclear power plant on February 14, a hole was created in the Arch, which seriously damaged its barrier structure. This raised questions about the unstable structures and their ability to provide adequate protection.
This was announced by SNRIU Chairman and Chief State Inspector for Nuclear and Radiation Safety of Ukraine Oleh Korikov during a briefing, UNN reports .
Details [1
In fact, the drone attacked the Arka building. Firstly, a direct strike, i.e., a hole was formed in this structure, and secondly, a fire occurred on the shell and the shell, both the outer and inner structure, were severely damaged. The lifting equipment, which was mounted to allow for further dismantling, was also damaged
He also added that there are currently problems with power supply, as emergency rescue operations are underway and some equipment is de-energized due to the use of water for emergency rescue operations. That is, the function provided by the new safe confidential file, namely isolation and a controlled situation, has now been lost.
According to Korikov, the Arch contains unstable structures that had previously been stabilized, but their safety was only justified until 2023. Given a number of objective circumstances, such as the pandemic and Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, as well as a lack of funding, the operating organization was unable to implement the planned measures to stabilize or dismantle these structures.
It was decided to postpone these activities until 2029 in order to work with donors to ensure that these works are funded with the designers and contractors involved. The situation is completely different now, and the New Safe Confinement facility is not performing the functions that were expected of it. In these conditions, we are now returning to the issue of dismantling unstable structures, and in the absence of barrier functions and lack of isolation, the issue of danger from unstable structures is gaining a relevant resonance. This issue is very urgent, and we cannot yet assess it, as the consequences of the destruction, this emergency situation by design, are still being eliminated. As it is eliminated, the operating organization will work on it and together we will understand how to move forward in this situation. But the danger is quite high, we still have to assess the level of this danger
Recall
On the night of February 14, a Russian attack drone with an explosive part damaged the protective shelter at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.
As of February 17, firefighting at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant has been suspended, with no open smoldering areas observed.
