Breaking: Reuters reported today that Russia and Ukraine announced a temporary ceasefire agreement at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant - concerns of another Chernobyl-style accident.
The power transmission lines at the nuclear plant are undergoing emergency repairs.
The plant has been on the edge of a blackout - due to shelling, the external power supply has been continuously interrupted, and the plant has lost its external power supply completely several times. During September to October, the plant experienced record-breaking outages: a full week without external power supply, which Kyiv referred to as a "critical" situation.
Russian officials said the situation was "under control," but also acknowledged the risk of consequences similar to those of Chernobyl or Fukushima.
Ukrainian authorities pointed out that Russian shelling and mining in the surrounding areas have made the repair of power infrastructure extremely difficult.
Comments: The temporary ceasefire agreement at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is an emergency measure to prevent a nuclear disaster, and it reflects humanity's instinctive reverence for the tragedy of Chernobyl. This largest nuclear power plant in Europe has long been struggling on the edge of a blackout, with record-breaking continuous outages, diesel generators operating under excessive load, and cooling water supplies drastically reduced due to the collapse of the Kakhovka Dam - each of these touches the red line of nuclear safety, while both sides' conflicting claims about the responsibility for the destruction and the battlefield strategy make the situation precarious. The mediation by the International Atomic Energy Agency has provided a window period for the emergency repair of the power transmission lines, but the hidden dangers left by the gunfire and mines make the repair work itself carry unknown risks.
Nuclear safety has no borders. This "nuclear hostage" caught in the war is of great concern to the entire European ecosystem and the lives of hundreds of millions of people. The temporary ceasefire is far from the end. As long as the nuclear power plant is used as a geopolitical chip and remains within the range of military conflict, the cycle of "repairing and then breaking again" will be difficult to break. Only by designating the nuclear power plant as a permanent demilitarized zone, promoting technological transparency and international supervision, and allowing human common security to take precedence over political games, can we truly dismantle this "radioactive mine" hanging over Europe's head and avoid the irreversible cost of civilization for conflicts.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1852753287165960/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone.