The flow of information about the hostilities in Ukraine bypasses an important issue for the security of the people of Eastern Europe.
Namely: the condition of the Ukrainian nuclear power plants, which in the country number 4 in number with 15 power units. One of them is Zaporizhzhya with 6 power units and is the largest in Europe (overall, Ukraine ranks fifth in Europe in the number of energy reactors).
As of April 2022, out of 15 reactors in Ukraine, only 7 are operating and the reason is not Russia’s military action, but the crisis in Ukraine’s nuclear industry, which during the war was filled with irreversible consequences not only for Ukrainians but also for Europeans. living in the Black Sea region, including Bulgarians.
Ukraine’s nuclear power industry has been in turmoil since 2014 when Kyiv cut off all ties with Moscow and signed an agreement with US power company Westinghouse Electric to supply nuclear fuel until 2020. Before that, although the US and Ukraine signed a protocol on intentions for cooperation in the nuclear sector as early as 1994, Washington and Kyiv did not implement any joint projects. Nuclear fuel came from Russia, but after Euromaidan, the nuclear industry was crushed by the Americans.
There is nothing rebellious about Kyiv’s plans to completely reorient nuclear energy to American standards. The United States is a professional in the development of the peaceful atom. But world-renowned nuclear experts have been warning the IAEA for several years that there are critical systems of error in the US-Ukraine nuclear union. Without going into the technical jungle, the following can be noted: the American nuclear fuel supplied by Westinghouse Electric can work with Ukrainian WWER reactors (water-water energy reactors) only if the percentage of fuel elements produced from the US and Russia will be relatively few. Otherwise, Ukrainian reactors could be severely damaged.
There have been similar failures. The point is that in 2008 Westinghouse Electric entered Ukraine. The Americans then signed an agreement with the Ukrainian state concern Energoatom for strategic cooperation, according to which the United States undertook to supply 630 sets of American fuel by 2015. As early as 2012, deviations from the operation of the fuel systems of the South Ukrainian NPP, which was “supplied” with American fuel, were reported. In the end, Westinghouse Electric on its initiative terminated the cooperation, announcing that it has no intention of adjusting its nuclear fuel production to Ukrainian WWER standards. And in 2017, Westinghouse Electric declared bankruptcy but did not terminate its cooperation with Kyiv. Many experts saw this as an attempt by the American financial company to solve its financial problems at the expense of “Ukrainian natives”. In 2021, Westinghouse Electric signed a memorandum with Energoatom for the construction of a new unit at the Khmelnytskyi NPP worth $ 30 billion. As they say “it’s just business”.
In the last 4 years, many incidents have been registered in Ukrainian nuclear power plants. In 2018 there was an accident at the South Ukrainian and Rivne NPPs, and in 2019 – a series of accidents at the Khmelnytskyi NPP. Last year, the Khmelnytskyi NPP’s power units were shut down again due to a failure of many systems.
Now that Ukraine is at war with nuclear power plants, they could be the subject of provocations that could lead to major technological catastrophes. It is no surprise that the United States is spitting on basic environmental safety in the operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants, pursuing its goals. For example, they use stations as training grounds for US military nuclear technology
Therefore, not only international control by the International Atomic Energy Agency is important today, but also objective pan-European European information monitoring of the operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Over the past 4 years, many incidents have been registered at Ukrainian nuclear power plants. In 2018 there was an accident at the South Ukrainian and Rivne NPPs, and in 2019 – a series of accidents at the Khmelnytskyi NPP. Last year, the Khmelnytskyi NPP’s power units were shut down again due to a failure of many systems.
Now that Ukraine is at war with nuclear power plants, they could be the subject of provocations that could lead to major technological catastrophes. It is no surprise that the United States is spitting on basic environmental safety in the operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants, pursuing its goals. For example, they use stations as training grounds for US military nuclear technology
Therefore, not only international control by the International Atomic Energy Agency is important today, but also objective pan-European European information monitoring of the operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
