[News Terms] Rising Threat of Nuclear Disaster at 'Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant'

The 'Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant' is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, equipped with six Russian-designed pressurized water reactors (VVER).

It is located in Enerhodar, Zaporizhzhia Oblast in southeastern Ukraine, 112 km from Zaporizhzhia city and 200 km west of Donetsk. The Dnipro River, which flows near the plant, is used as cooling water, and directly opposite the plant is the Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine occupied by Russia.
[Photo by Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant AP/ Yonhap News]

Each reactor at the Zaporizhzhia plant produces 950 megawatts electric (MWe), with a total output capacity of 5,700 MWe. It has supplied about half of Ukraine's nuclear power generation and approximately 20% of the country's total electricity.

Shortly after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in early March last year, Russia took control of the Zaporizhzhia plant, but the operation and management continued to be handled by Ukrainians, creating an unstable situation. It was reported that the plant was completely shut down in September last year.

However, concerns remain that if the nuclear material storage facilities are damaged due to fighting, radioactive material could leak. In this situation, Russia and Ukraine have been engaged in harsh accusations, each accusing the other of plotting to destroy the plant. Claims have been made that Russia increased the risk of accidents by operating one reactor without proper maintenance, and there are also allegations that Russia intends to detonate the Zaporizhzhia plant instead of using nuclear weapons, effectively achieving the impact of nuclear weapons. The risk of a nuclear disaster is escalating. Experts estimate that if this plant explodes, the damage would be ten times greater than that of Chernobyl.

Ole Korikov, head of Ukraine's nuclear regulatory authority, stated on the 6th (local time) that the situation at the Zaporizhzhia plant is serious. In an interview with Germany's RND on the same day, he said regarding the safety status of the plant itself, "Five of the six reactors have been shut down, but Reactor 5 is currently operating," and emphasized, "As the nuclear regulatory authority, we are certain that this situation is very dangerous."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.