Ukraine nuclear plant explosion would be ‘much worse than Hiroshima,’ warns ex-minister | World | News
The devastation caused by the deliberate destruction of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has the potential to be far worse than that caused by the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, a nuclear safety expert has warned.
Yuriy Kostenko, Ukraine’s former Minister for Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety, was speaking days after Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of planting “objects resembling explosives” on the roof of the facility, which they seized in the early stages of the war.
Mr Kostenko said only the General Staff of the Russian Armed forces could say for certain whether it had placed mines on the building.
However, he added: “Information about the mining of the ZNPP was constantly received, as well as information about the mining of the Kakhovka HPP.
“I know about it from the reports of ZNPP employees. In addition, IAEA observers also indicated the possibility of mining the ZNPP.”
He continued: “Russia is holding a nuclear plant hostage, the explosion of which could lead to far more dramatic consequences than the use of nuclear weapons in Japan before the end of World War II.
Asked to speculate on Putin’s motives, Mr Kostenko suggested it needed to be viewed against a backdrop of haphazard decisions dating all the way back to the invasion of February 24, 2022.
He explained: “Against the background of the total failure of the so-called special military operation, the top political and military leadership of Russia has no idea what is their next step.
“This is confirmed by the events at the ZNPP, where the invaders begin preparations for a major accident, which is one of the elements of a nuclear war.
“The draining of the Kakhovka Reservoir and the blowing up of the HPP dam also indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin is raising nuclear stakes.”
As for the damage such an explosion would trigger, Mr Kostenko, who holds a PhD from Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University, said it depended on the extent of the destruction of reactor cooling systems and spent nuclear fuel storage facilities.
He added: “The worst scenario is the explosion of six reactors and the spread of radioactive isotopes outside of Ukraine.
“In fact, this is the spread of Russian aggression to NATO Member States.”
Mr Kostenko emphasised: “A nuclear explosion at this nuclear power plant is not even comparable to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
“This is a much more terrible and large-scale nuclear accident, which can lead to unpredictable consequences in the conditions of such a war.
“None of the analysts will undertake to assess what and how to do when active hostilities are taking place on the territory of Zaporizhzhia region and suddenly a reactor or spent nuclear fuel storage facility explodes.”
Citing the latest intelligence reports, Mr Zelensky on Tuesday alleged that Russian troops had placed “objects resembling explosives” on top of several power units to “simulate” an attack as part of a false flag operation.
The “foreign objects” were placed on the roof of the plant’s third and fourth power units, the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said in a statement.
Wrapping up a four-day visit to Japan, Rafael Mariano Grossi , Director General of the International Atomic Energy Association, said his agency was making progress on access to Zaporizhzhia, but there had been “some limitations”.
He added: “It’s like a conversation and I’m pushing to get as much access as possible.”
Referring to the rooftops, he said: “I’m optimistic that we are going to be able to go up and see.”
