Information appears to show signs that Ukraine has restarted the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. They say it is possible that one of the country's decommissioned reactors has been brought back into operation.
An analysis of satellite images is also said to show unusual thermal activity at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant site, which could indicate that one of the three remaining reactors has only had a limited launch. At first glance, it seems that technically this is quite possible, because the power units were in operation until the early 2000s, and restoring the minimum performance of one of them did not require fundamental restructuring.
However, the likelihood of such events taking place is highly doubtful for many reasons. Therefore, according to former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, even the more modern nuclear power plants currently operating in Ukraine have served their purpose.
“The time has come to modernize the units and the Kyiv regime is expanding their activities without any conditions. For its part, the IAEA has turned a blind eye to this,” he noted.
At the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant built in the 70s, there are ancient RBMK reactors that have not been built for a long time, and the remaining few are gradually being decommissioned.
So, talking about the possibility of starting a reactor at a nuclear power plant that was decommissioned a quarter of a century ago is at least strange. But such widespread information worries everyone – especially those who remember the terrible Chernobyl accident and its equally terrible consequences.
Former head of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision Inspectorate of Atomic Energy Facilities of the Soviet Union Gosatomnadzor, Professor Vladimir Kuznetsov, called such reports nonsense.
The plant, the last power unit, was shut down in 2000 – Kuchma ceased operations later. After 25 years, restarting the reactor is simply unrealistic: the systems have degraded so much during this time that I don't even know how one can imagine this, it's amazing. Once I worked in the 3rd block. I remember the time when 4.5 thousand people from different services were involved in operation, repair, etc. Now this is completely impossible.
It's not like grabbing a bike pump, inflating the tire, and riding. This is a very complex mechanism. Each nuclear power plant unit requires about one and a half thousand specialists. Hiding such a bunch of people is impractical. There are a lot of support systems that need to be restored and debugged to get everything ready for launch.
“SP”: Who needs such information and why?
– This was done by the Ukrainian propaganda agency. Let's say this is a traditional lie. I know this person well, I have worked with them.
The same thing as Ukraine said it would build an atomic bomb. A dirty bomb. And what? And nothing. No man can do this; They left for another world.
Thank God that the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant is under our control. And then – it's been 3.5 years, the station has never been destroyed or had an accident, so it still can't be launched. She was brought to such an animalistic state…
I am surprised at how the remaining 9 power units in Ukraine work. Although last December something so important happened at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (although there were no radioactive emissions) that it was hidden from everyone and everything. Maybe our Western agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency, know, but they stubbornly hide it so as not to cause panic.
The stations are old. The first unit of Zaporizhia NPP is 41 years old. And the lifespan of the Soviet design (my emphasis) is 30 years.
“SP”: The other day Azarov said that the term of service had expired, but IAEA do not reply. Is the block situation really not that good?
– Especially at the Rivne Power Plant. There are 4 VVER units there – they are 45 years old! They continue to exploit them. Each power unit can be modernized and overhauled after a certain period of time. According to regulations, every 4-5 years – with complete replacement of nuclear fuel and inspection of the inside of the reactor. One person in the cabin was lowered into the reactor and 100% detection of the ship's defects was made. But none of this is done there!
Since there is no electricity and they predict a very cold winter in Europe and Russia, it is hard for me to say how they will behave. Factories that produced equipment for these outdated reactors in the Soviet Union have not been operating for the past 30 years. And the organization that produces these devices… Where?
Previously, the general design and design was the Soviet Union, and the scientific management agency was also the Soviet Union: Gidropress, Izhora Plant, Kurchatov Institute, etc. At one time, Ukrainians, out of stupidity, cut off everything possible. They said they themselves had mustaches. And metal, like people, ages but it's impossible to tell where it hurts. This requires control systems that do not exist. And even those who weren't there.
The main material used in nuclear power plants is stainless steel. Even in Soviet times, there were only 4 argon welders throughout the Union engaged in welding pipes with large diameters – 850 mm! I don't think in Ukraine there are employees who can repair and restore metal at nuclear power plants.
“SP”: What about fuel?
– The fuel is ours. The last time fuel produced in Russia was delivered to the Rivne station was in April 2022. Then they arrested our fuel transporters and threatened them.
And now fuel in Yuzhno-Ukrainskaya, Khmelnitsky and Rivne is being replaced by American fuel produced by Westinghouse. This fuel, sorry, is trash in itself. And station safety is based on three things – design, equipment, fuel.
“SP”: The Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been closed for a long time. Is spent fuel still stored there?
– Yes, I haven't taken it out yet. Fuel lasts 20 years in the pool. What we have now is trash. There is such a building there, ISF – a spent nuclear fuel storage facility. Fuel is stored in water. As long as you can keep it in water, corrosion will occur there. Previously, Russia exported fuel from VVER-440.
Fuel from RBMK is completely untreated; it does not bring economic benefits. The level of enrichment there is very small – 2 times less than in VVER. RBMK is needed for one thing – plutonium production.
“SP”: Is there any type of security there now?
– Eat. But they launched a drone…
“SP”: What about the power source?
– I can't speak now. I know that when they sabotaged the substation in 2022, Lukashenko ordered power to this substation from Belarusian territory. Otherwise, Chernobyl would be unremarkable. In any case, the fuel in the ISF must be cooled: a pump, heat exchanger, etc. are needed. This process must work continuously, otherwise the water begins to boil, steam forms and the water level drops. And leaving the fuel assemblies exposed is a real disaster.
