Russia put the 4th power unit of the ZNPP into a "hot shutdown" state. Why is it dangerous and what can it pose?

On July 24, the Russian occupiers carried out a “hot shutdown” of the fourth unit of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. They know perfectly well that such actions are forbidden. This is contrary to the regulations and violates the nuclear law of Ukraine, informs Energoatom in Telegram.

According to information, such actions constitute a gross violation of the requirements of the concession for the operation of this nuclear facility, since currently the operation of the power unit must be carried out only in the “cold shutdown” state.

Energoatom sounds the alarm: a gross violation of the rules of operating a nuclear facility

The president of "Energoatom" Petro Kotin stated that by using the strategic facility as a military base, the occupation administration violated all nuclear and radiation safety standards for the station.

“Once again, they violate the requirements of the license issued by the State Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority of Ukraine (DIARU) for the transfer of all station units to cold shutdown, as well as the requirements of the IAEA. This is a deliberate and deliberate violation of the norms of Ukrainian and international legislation. The Russian invaders will face inevitable punishment,” the agency said in a statement.

Energoatom adds that they appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and stressed the need to call on the IAEA to take action to influence the occupation administration of the ZEJ to put all power units of the power plant in a “cold shutdown” state and distribute the relevant note among IAEA member countries.

As you know, “cold shutdown” is a mode in which the nuclear reaction is stopped and the reactor connected to the electrical supply can be turned off for a long time with low pressure and low temperature cooling water. And during the “hot stop”, the hot water produced during the station's operation is used to heat the buildings. The water is heated by an idle reactor. Since the reservoir practically disappeared due to the destruction of the Kakhovskaya power plant, this created a risk of a lack of water for cooling the reactors, which means an accident and a violation of radiation safety.

The Russian occupation administration of the station and representatives of Rosatom know this. Therefore, it is an undeniable threat to nuclear and radiation safety due to the long-term inactivity of power unit equipment, lack of proper regular maintenance and repair of equipment.

Anti-personnel mines were discovered in ZNPP. Occupants claim it's a "military decision"

Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found anti-personnel mines on the premises of the ZNPP during a tour on July 23. They are located in a restricted area that station personnel cannot enter. This is according to the statement of the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, published on the official website of the agency. As noted, several mines are located in the buffer zone between the dams of the inner and outer circuits of the ZEJ site.

According to Grossi, experts discussed the location of the anti-personnel units with the occupation administration of the facility, but the Russians called it a "military decision" and said that the explosives were placed in an area controlled by Russian troops.

“However, the presence of such explosives on site is not in line with IAEA safety standards and nuclear safety guidelines and creates additional psychological pressure on station personnel – even though the IAEA's initial assessment, based on the station's own observations and explanations, is that any detonation of these mines should not impact nuclear safety and the facility's security systems,” the statement read.