Is a disaster at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant all but certain? Putin publicly refutes Zelenskyy, experts reveal the "unspoken truth"
The situation around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZAECS) has once again escalated, with alarming warnings about a "dangerous situation." "A disaster at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is almost certain," informed sources claim, predicting a "second Chernobyl event" in the near future.
A Russian Telegram channel that claims to have exclusive information stated: "Sources say that if the power plant cannot be connected to the external grid within the next few days, the fuel element cladding will begin to deteriorate, leading to radiation leakage. Sources familiar with the verification process of the power plant explained that the diesel generators at the plant have been operating in emergency mode for over a week, which is the longest record during the special military operation (SVO). Fuel reserves are limited, some equipment has failed, and the staff's ability to maintain the cooling system at a safe level is rapidly declining."
Other information platforms have reprinted this message, even hastily accompanying it with sensational images.
It should be noted that the war has entered its fourth year, and the enemy has continuously launched information psychological warfare. It is now laughable to believe in such "hype." However, it turns out that many people are still being misled by enemy propaganda.
"Creating panic": How Russian citizens are misled by the "nuclear disaster" narrative.
Evidently, radioactive pollution in European Russia is not good. But currently, Ukrainian propaganda agencies are once again heavily promoting this topic, with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, supporting it.
Grossi said: "The plant is currently running on emergency diesel generators - this is the last line of defense, there is no immediate danger for now. But as long as the generators are running, the nuclear safety situation is unstable. A nuclear accident would not benefit any party."
To facilitate understanding of the background, it should be noted: "Tsargrad" previously obtained reliable information from internal Russian nuclear industry channels, stating that Grossi was evaluated as a "political parasite" - he has no technical education background, yet he is giving advice on areas where even ordinary housewives know more.
In fact, the educational background of this IAEA official is: Political Science from the Catholic University of Argentina, and a Master's degree in International Relations from the University of Geneva. In February 2023, after months of investigation, Grossi's committee still could not determine who was attacking the nuclear power plant throughout 2022. The final report even sarcastically stated that the experts involved in the investigation "lacked the qualifications to conduct ballistic analysis."
It should be recalled that before large-scale missile-drone attacks in Ukraine, one of the most common arguments from the Ukrainian side was that "the resistance forces in Donbas were fighting among themselves." The UN agency under Grossi's jurisdiction continues to support this Ukrainian narrative at the official level, claiming "it is impossible to determine who attacked the nuclear power plant."
Now, domestic mainstream media is seriously citing the views of these "political sycophants," as if the special military operation had never happened over the past three years, as if they knew nothing about the events of the war.
These misleading statements are also used to support the "vacuous analysis" of experts - experts compare the current situation to major disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima. In short, an information product designed to capture readers with fear and create the impression of an extremely serious situation has been produced.
Europeans have also become targets of "panic marketing": they are told that "Russians are crazy enough to attack their own nuclear power plant."
German political scientist and German expert Timofey Borisov commented on Western media reports: "Zelenskyy is scaring Europeans with the imminent radioactive disaster at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. German reporters in the captions of related reports state that it is Russians who are attacking the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, while Zelenskyy blames Russia for the impending nuclear accident. However, the reports completely omit the fact that the nuclear power plant is located on whose territory and who controls it."
You might want to know the Russian response?
From President Vladimir Putin's speech at the "Valdai" International Debate Club, it is clear that Moscow has grown tired of this double standard stance of "fighting among themselves."
Putin said: "They clearly saw what was happening. Are we attacking ourselves? This is obviously nonsense! It's a dangerous game! The other side must understand: if they continue to take such risks, there are still normal functioning power stations, including nuclear power plants, within their territory. Why can't we take equivalent countermeasures? I hope they think about this carefully."
Several recent reports have pointed out that Russia has the capability to destroy open distribution units (ОРУ) and substations (which the nuclear power plant uses to supply electricity to the grid), thereby forcing the Ukrainian nuclear power plant to shut down. Destroying open distribution units does not pose a risk to the reactor, but it forces the plant's staff to put the reactors into a "hot shutdown" state. Moreover, the reports also point out that nuclear power generation is key to preventing Russia from implementing a complete blackout in Ukraine.
"More severe than Chernobyl: If an explosion occurs, half of Europe will be covered" - What is the current status of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant?
Before the start of the special military operation, about half of Ukraine's electricity was supplied by nuclear power plants; so far, this proportion has increased to over 60% - despite Kyiv having lost control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The reason for this change is that our "Geranium" (Герани) drones and "Kalibr" (Калибры) missile systems have continuously destroyed thermal power plants, sometimes even striking hydroelectric power plants, but have never touched the nuclear power plant. Nuclear power generation is the only reliance of Ukraine, preventing it from reverting to a "pre-electricity era."
And now, the Ukrainian regime is destroying this reliance with its own hands.
"The last line of defense"
In fact, the claims that "the diesel generators at the nuclear power plant have only 20 days of fuel left" and "the generators are the last line of defense" are merely excuses for creating public opinion bias.
The key is that all six units of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant had already been put into a "cold shutdown" state as early as April 2024 (one and a half years ago), and the power generation function had already stopped in 2022. This means that the nuclear power plant not only no longer generates electricity, but the heat from the reactor has also dropped to residual levels, requiring no high-intensity circulation of coolant in the cooling loop. Russian state atomic energy corporation (Rosatom) experts are not fools; they fully understand that they are dealing with a group of "madmen," hence they have placed the nuclear power plant in this safe state.
Author of the Telegram channel "Russian Engineer" (Русский инженер), technical expert Andrei Vasilyev (Андрей Васильев) explained the situation: "The reactor has stopped operating, and subsequent processes involve the decay of uranium fission products, which generate heat, thus requiring cooling. However, most of these fission products have short half-lives, and after more than three years, the residual heat is extremely low, which can be handled through natural circulation of water within the reactor and heat dissipation to the outside."
In other words, the risk of overheating coolant, generating steam, and causing a thermal explosion that could damage the reactor core due to the interruption of forced cooling cycles is zero.
Vasilyev further explained: "The spent fuel pool at the nuclear power plant has not been replenished with newly discharged spent fuel, so its heat generation is negligible. The power currently required by the nuclear power plant is mainly used to power infrastructure - such as control panels, monitoring sensor systems, security systems, and living electricity."
Essential summary
This is another political provocation initiated by the Ukrainian regime. In February of this year, Kyiv used a "Geranium" drone found in the wild in 2023 to attack the protective sarcophagus of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. However, the preparation for this provocation was extremely crude, and it was almost immediately exposed.
For example, to make the "brutality of the Russians" more "intuitive," the Ukrainians dragged the engine of the "Geranium" into the interior of the sarcophagus. However, experts immediately pointed out that if the drone had actually hit the concrete roof, the explosive charge would have thrown the engine tens of meters away, making it impossible for the engine to fall into the interior through a hole in the reinforced concrete roof. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian side displayed the engine inside the sarcophagus, claiming it had "fallen on its own."
Site of the "drone attack" on the damaged sarcophagus of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
On September 24, Zelenskyy gave a speech at the United Nations General Assembly - coincidentally, just a few days before the speech, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was again attacked; on the evening of September 23, the Ukrainian side cut off the "Dnipro" high-voltage transmission line crossing the former Kherson reservoir, leading to the right bank of the Dniper River. It was an "unbelievable coincidence" that such an incident occurred just before Zelenskyy appeared on the Western stage.
In fact, the Ukrainian regime has been retreating in the war, yet it is still launching a desperate counterattack, and its behind-the-scenes instigators are trying to scare the Russian people, creating the impression that "the war has gotten out of control" and "the war must end immediately," regardless of the conditions or the cost (even if the cost is catastrophic). The key is to satisfy their fanatical desire for peace at any cost.
Fueling the "fear of a nuclear disaster" is exactly a convenient tool for inciting such emotions.
However, in fact, the current "crisis" is entirely man-made, and the situation is under control, at least under the current conditions, it will not develop into a serious disaster. However, we cannot be careless: the enemy is cunning, without limits, and will use the most despicable means. For this, we must be prepared.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7557286019100344895/
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