Latest news with #Chernobyl2.0
Scottish Sun
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Vladimir Putin expands nuclear missile base after test at frozen site killed five in horror radiation leak disaster
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) VLADIMIR Putin has expanded one of his nuclear weapons bases with new secured structures that could be used as missile launchpads. Bombshell satellite images show construction work inside the strictly controlled military site of Nenoksa - where five people were killed after a nuclear-powered missile exploded at the testing site. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Satellite images show three new test facilities constructed at the Nenoksa naval facility in Russia Credit: Google Earth 8 The area was covered with dense forest before 2023 Credit: Google Earth 8 Three new facilities - each the size of a football field - can be seen at the centre of the naval testing site. They have been constructed near a railway line that is thought to bring missiles and testing gear into Nenoksa. The area, which before 2023 was forest, is now surrounded by double-barbed wire fences. The entire compound, located some 40 miles west of Arkhangelsk in northern Russia, is thought to be more than 61,000 square meters wide - and is heavily fortified. Construction at the Russian military site is thought to have begun in 2023, according to the Barents Observer, which has been tracking all its activities. Several big containers, reportedly used to store missiles, can be seen in the pictures. A dedicated launch pad with two missile containers can be seen in the centre. Both launchers are directed towards the White Sea, the latest Google Earth images show. Similar blue launcher containers can also be seen in other test facilities for missiles in Russia. This includes the Kapustin Yar in the Astrakhan region and recent years, at Pankovo at Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic. Chernobyl 2.0: Putin's drone strike has exposed a NEW PROBLEM The latter has been used by Rosatom for testing the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile under development. Another launch area is located by the shore in the northwest outskirts of the Nenoksa test range seems to still be active. There is no public information available revealing what kind of missile tests will take place at the new constructions that can be seen on the latest satellite images. In 2019, five Rosatom experts were killed after they were exposed to radiation at the Nenoksa site. American nuke experts saod the testing of a Russian nuclear cruise missile was to blame for a huge explosion at a military site. Russia's state nuclear agency confirmed the deaths were caused by a blast, which left a further three people injured and sparked radiation fears. The accident happened while testing 'isotopic power sources in a liquid propulsion system', state nuclear agency Rosatom said in a statement. But US experts claim Rosatom may have been testing an experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile, which Vladimir Putin last year claimed to be 'invincible against all existing and prospective' defence systems. 8 Nenoksa naval testing range in 2025 Credit: Google Earth 8 Radiation levels in the Russian city of Severodvinsk rose dramatically on August 8 as a result of the mysterious explosion Credit: Reuters 8 Putin is thought to be building the new site to test missiles Credit: AFP Russian officials initially tried to play down the radiation leak, saying the levels were normal. But a spokeswoman for Severodvinsk, a city close to the test site, said in a statement that a "short-term" spike in background radiation was recorded at noon Thursday. In separate interviews, two experts said that a liquid rocket propellant explosion would not release radiation. They said the explosion and radiation release could have resulted from a mishap during the testing of a nuclear-powered cruise missile at a facility outside the village of Nyonoksa. Neither the Defence Ministry nor Rosatom have identified the type of weapon that exploded during the test. But Rosatom's statement said the explosion occurred during tests of a "nuclear isotope power source," which led observers to conclude it was the "Burevestnik" or "Storm Petrel," a nuclear-powered cruise missile. NATO has code-named the missile "Skyfall." The missile was first revealed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his 2018 state-of-the-nation address, along with other doomsday weapons. Ankit Panda, an adjunct senior fellow with the Federation of American Scientists, said: "Liquid fuel missile engines exploding do not give off radiation, and we know that the Russians are working on some kind of nuclear propulsion for a cruise missile." Arkhangelsk is a city in the north-east of Russia and was once the country's main seaport until 1703. 8 Footage released by the Russian state news agency claims to show a test of the Burevetnik missile 8 The Nenoksa base is the centre for the Navy's missile testing
The Irish Sun
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Vladimir Putin expands nuclear missile base after test at frozen site killed five in horror radiation leak disaster
VLADIMIR Putin has expanded one of his nuclear weapons bases with new secured structures that could be used as missile launchpads. Bombshell satellite images show construction work inside the strictly controlled military site of Nenoksa - where five people were killed after a Advertisement 8 Satellite images show three new test facilities constructed at the Nenoksa naval facility in Russia Credit: Google Earth 8 The area was covered with dense forest before 2023 Credit: Google Earth 8 Three new facilities - each the size of a football field - can be seen at the centre of the naval testing site. They have been constructed near a railway line that is thought to bring missiles and testing gear into Nenoksa. The area, which before 2023 was forest, is now surrounded by double-barbed wire fences. The entire compound, located some 40 miles west of Arkhangelsk in northern Russia, is thought to be more than 61,000 square meters wide - and is heavily fortified. Advertisement read more on Putin Construction at the Russian military site is thought to have begun in 2023, according to the Barents Observer, which has been tracking all its activities. Several big containers, reportedly used to store missiles, can be seen in the pictures. A dedicated launch pad with two missile containers can be seen in the centre. Both launchers are directed towards the White Sea, the latest Google Earth images show. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Exclusive Similar blue launcher containers can also be seen in other test facilities for missiles in Russia . This includes the Kapustin Yar in the Astrakhan region and recent years, at Pankovo at Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic. Chernobyl 2.0: Putin's drone strike has exposed a NEW PROBLEM The latter has been used by Rosatom for testing the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile under development. Another launch area is located by the shore in the northwest outskirts of the Nenoksa test range seems to still be active. Advertisement There is no public information available revealing what kind of missile tests will take place at the new constructions that can be seen on the latest satellite images. In 2019, American nuke experts saod the testing of a Russian nuclear cruise missile was to blame for a huge explosion at a military site. Russia 's state nuclear agency confirmed the deaths were caused by a blast, which left a further three people injured and sparked radiation fears. Advertisement The accident happened while testing 'isotopic power sources in a liquid propulsion system', state nuclear agency Rosatom said in a statement. But US experts claim Rosatom may have been testing an experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile, which Vladimir Putin last year claimed to be 'invincible against all existing and prospective' defence systems. 8 Nenoksa naval testing range in 2025 Credit: Google Earth 8 Radiation levels in the Russian city of Severodvinsk rose dramatically on August 8 as a result of the mysterious explosion Credit: Reuters Advertisement 8 Putin is thought to be building the new site to test missiles Credit: AFP Russian officials initially tried to play down the radiation leak, saying the levels were normal. But a spokeswoman for Severodvinsk, a city close to the test site, said in a statement that a "short-term" spike in background radiation was recorded at noon Thursday. In separate interviews , two experts said that a liquid rocket propellant explosion would not release radiation. Advertisement They said the explosion and radiation release could have resulted from a mishap during the testing of a nuclear-powered cruise missile at a facility outside the village of Nyonoksa. Neither the Defence Ministry nor Rosatom have identified the type of weapon that exploded during the test. But Rosatom's statement said the explosion occurred during tests of a "nuclear isotope power source," which led observers to conclude it was the "Burevestnik" or "Storm Petrel," a nuclear-powered cruise missile. NATO has code-named the missile "Skyfall." Advertisement The missile was first revealed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his 2018 state-of-the-nation address, along with other doomsday weapons. Ankit Panda, an adjunct senior fellow with the Federation of American Scientists, said: "Liquid fuel missile engines exploding do not give off radiation, and we know that the Russians are working on some kind of nuclear propulsion for a cruise missile." Arkhangelsk is a city in the north-east of Russia and was once the country's main seaport until 1703. 8 Footage released by the Russian state news agency claims to show a test of the Burevetnik missile Advertisement 8 The Nenoksa base is the centre for the Navy's missile testing
Scottish Sun
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Fears of catastrophic radiation leak as engineers race to repair damage on Chernobyl protective dome from Vlad's strikes
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A RUSSIAN drone smashed into Chernobyl's protective dome — fuelling fears the next strike could blow deadly radiation across Europe, a top Ukrainian official has warned. Maintenance boss Artem Siryi told The Sun one of Vladimir Putin's kamikaze drones punched straight through the steel shell shielding the infamous Reactor 4. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 10 A fire quickly erupted after the drone slammed into the dome Credit: East2West 10 Ukrainian firefighters battled a blaze sparked by the explosion Credit: East2West 10 A hole created by the blast can be seen at the top of the sarcophagus Credit: East2West 10 Putin's drone left a 15-square-metre hole on the structure Credit: AP 10 The February 14 strike ignited fires between its two critical layers - burning through a vital internal membrane designed to keep radiation sealed inside. Siryi, head of maintenance at the New Safe Confinement (NSC), said: "We were very lucky that the strike did not hit the concrete shelter structure that holds the radiation in. "If it had landed in a different spot, it could've compromised the concrete sarcophagus enveloping the reactor. Then we'd be dealing with a very different situation." But the expert warned that a second drone strike could be enough to bring the dome down and trigger a full-scale radiation leak if the structure is not repaired as soon as possible. Speculating a worst case scenario, Siryi said the whole dome could collapse, fully exposing the concrete sarcophagus around Reactor 4. In a chain reaction, the sarcophagus could eventually get damaged and leak the deadly radiation in a 'Chernobyl 2.0'. 'If another drone hits, it could collapse part of the structure,' he said. 'That would mean radioactive dust, with particles of nuclear fuel from Unit 4, escaping into the environment.' 'Protecting against extreme outside strikes was not the purpose of this dome,' Siryi added. Inside Ukraine's recaptured Chernobyl exclusion zone with radioactive trenches that 'struck down dozens of Russians' The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is protected by a vast multi-layered system. At its heart is the original concrete sarcophagus built after the 1986 explosion to contain radioactive material. Surrounding that is the New Safe Confinement—an enormous steel dome completed in 2016 and stretching 100 metres high. It was designed as a dual-skin steel shield that arches over the original 1986 sarcophagus to further seal off radiation and allow safe dismantling of the reactor beneath. It also acts as a containment zone to trap radioactive dust using negative pressure and a sealed membrane. But that outer arch was never built to withstand the force of Mad Vlad's brutal war in Ukraine. DOME CHAOS According to Siryi, the drone directly hit the outer metal cladding over the structure's central crane maintenance garage, blasting a 15-square-metre hole. The remains of the drone, including its engine, penetrated the second, inner layer and landed inside the garage. That initial impact sparked a hidden inferno within the arch's 'layered cake' of materials — metal cladding, Rockwool insulation, and a crucial 1.5mm sealing membrane. 'When the fire started smouldering under the insulation, it was almost impossible to detect from the outside,' Siryi said. 'We had to use drones with thermal imaging to find the fire hidden inside the layers.' To stop the flames from spreading beneath the outer shell, firefighters were forced to cut dozens of small access hatches — about 30 by 30cm — into the dome, pouring water into the insulation from above. But temperatures plunged to minus 16°C, freezing the water and blocking access paths, forcing responders to drill even more holes. 'It was a nightmare,' Siryi said. 'This project was never designed to deal with a direct military strike. We had to invent solutions on the fly.' Roughly 30 per cent of the membrane on the northern part of the arch was destroyed in the blaze — a major concern since this air-tight barrier is what maintains pressure that prevents the lethal radiation from escaping. 10 A Ukrainian drone was able to capture footage of the damage Credit: East2West 10 A Russian drone can be seen exploding on impact with Chernobyl's containment dome Credit: X/ZelenskyyUa 10 The engine of the drone lies inside the reactor Credit: East2West 10 Ukraine's spies have launched an investigation Credit: Unpixs The damage also extended to the membrane seal between the steel arch and the ground-level concrete structures, leaving a one-metre-wide breach under the dome. 'We now have breaches where the membrane has burned out — this means the design sealing properties are lost,' Siryi explained. 'Without the membrane, the arch can't maintain the air pressure regime that prevents radioactive particles from leaking.' Sensors also detected a brief seismic shock from the explosion, but there was no damage to the internal concrete structure beneath the arch, which still holds dangerous remains of nuclear fuel. REPAIR PLANS UNDERWAY Engineers are also monitoring the dome's structural integrity in case of non-military threats like seismic activity. 'A relatively big tremor could also collapse the dome,' Siryi noted. With Ukraine's nuclear legacy once again under threat from war, experts are now warning that the danger of a second Chernobyl disaster is no longer unthinkable. Ukrainian forces are now stationed in the exclusion zone to protect the area. Siryi would not say whether he believes the strike was deliberate, but confirmed that surveillance footage showed a 'pretty direct strike on the dome, leading to the fire.' Engineers have now completed a damage survey and drafted a Defect Act. Immediate priority works include patching the main impact hole, sealing the firefighter-drilled access ports, and replacing the destroyed section of membrane — likely with a non-flammable material. This project was never designed to deal with a direct military strike Artem Siryi But that's just the beginning. Siryi said full repairs are a logistical nightmare, complicated by tight access, radiation exposure, and the enormous size of the arch. 'It's technically difficult,' he said. 'Just getting equipment close enough is a challenge, especially around the stormwater basins and tight ground clearances.' While work is expected to begin this year, progress depends on funding. Estimates for the initial emergency works run into 'millions of hryvnias'—equivalent to hundreds of thousands of pounds. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has already agreed to fund the surveys and design of the repair plan through the international Chernobyl Cooperation Fund. But approval for the physical work is still pending. 'Our goal is to complete the priority tasks this year,' Siryi said. 'After that, we'll test whether the ventilation system can still maintain the proper under-arch conditions. If not, we'll have to develop an entirely new safety strategy.' Siryi added: 'This is not just about patching a hole. This is about protecting the world from another radioactive disaster.' What happened at Chernobyl? WHEN an alarm bellowed out at the nuclear plant on April 26, 1986, workers looked on in horror as the control panels signaled a major meltdown in the number four reactor. The safety switches had been switched off in the early hours to test the turbine but the reactor overheated and generated a blast - the equivalent of 500 nuclear bombs. The reactor's roof was blown off and a plume of radioactive material was blasted into the atmosphere. As air was sucked into the shattered reactor, it ignited flammable carbon monoxide gas causing a fire which burned for nine days. The catastrophe released at least 100 times more radiation than the atom bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Soviet authorities waited 24 hours before evacuating the nearby town of Pripyat - giving the 50,000 residents just three hours to leave their homes. After the accident traces of radioactive deposits were found in Belarus where poisonous rain damaged plants and caused animal mutations. But the devastating impact was also felt in Scandinavia, Switzerland, Greece, Italy, France and the UK. An 18-mile radius known as the 'Exclusion Zone' was set up around the reactor following the disaster. Most recently, on February 24, 2022 during the Russian invasion, Ukraine lost control over the Chernobyl site. An adviser to the Ukrainian President, Mykhailo Poldoliak, told reporters: "After a fierce battle, our control over the Chernobyl site was lost. "The condition of the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant, confinement, and nuclear waste storage facilities is unknown." That same day Russian troops descended upon Chernobyl, capturing the area rapidly and killing those who stood in their way. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted that day in response to the events, 'Russian occupation forces are trying to seize the Chernobyl [Nuclear Power Plant]. Our defenders are sacrificing their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated. "This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe.' Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the interior minister, told The New York Times that Ukrainian troops had put up a "fierce resistance," but warned, "radioactive dust could cover the territory of Ukraine, Belarus and the countries of the European Union.'
The Irish Sun
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Fears of catastrophic radiation leak as engineers race to repair damage on Chernobyl protective dome from Vlad's strikes
A RUSSIAN drone smashed into Chernobyl's protective dome — fuelling fears the next strike could blow deadly radiation across Europe , a top Ukrainian official has warned. Maintenance boss Artem Siryi told The Sun one of Vladimir Putin's kamikaze drones Advertisement 10 A fire quickly erupted after the drone slammed into the dome Credit: East2West 10 Ukrainian firefighters battled a blaze sparked by the explosion Credit: East2West 10 A hole created by the blast can be seen at the top of the sarcophagus Credit: East2West 10 Putin's drone left a 15-square-metre hole on the structure Credit: AP 10 The February 14 strike ignited fires between its two critical layers - burning through a vital internal membrane designed to keep radiation sealed inside. Siryi, head of maintenance at the New Safe Confinement (NSC), said: "We were very lucky that the strike did not hit the concrete shelter structure that holds the radiation in. "If it had landed in a different spot, it could've compromised the concrete sarcophagus enveloping the reactor. Then we'd be dealing with a very different situation." But the expert warned that a second drone strike could be enough to bring the dome down and trigger a full-scale radiation leak if the structure is not repaired as soon as possible. Advertisement Read more on Chernobyl Speculating a worst case scenario, Siryi said the whole dome could collapse, fully exposing the concrete sarcophagus around Reactor 4. In a chain reaction, the sarcophagus could eventually get damaged and leak the deadly radiation in a 'Chernobyl 2.0'. 'If another drone hits, it could collapse part of the structure,' he said. 'That would mean radioactive dust, with particles of nuclear fuel from Unit 4, escaping into the environment.' Advertisement Most read in The Sun Exclusive 'Protecting against extreme outside strikes was not the purpose of this dome,' Siryi added. Inside Ukraine's recaptured Chernobyl exclusion zone with radioactive trenches that 'struck down dozens of Russians' The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is protected by a vast multi-layered system. At its heart is the original concrete sarcophagus built after the 1986 explosion to contain radioactive material. Surrounding that is the New Safe Confinement—an enormous steel dome completed in 2016 and stretching 100 metres high. Advertisement It was designed as a dual-skin steel shield that arches over the original 1986 sarcophagus to further seal off radiation and allow safe dismantling of the reactor beneath. It also acts as a containment zone to trap radioactive dust using negative pressure and a sealed membrane. But that outer arch was never built to withstand the force of Mad Vlad's brutal war in Ukraine. DOME CHAOS According to Siryi, the drone directly hit the outer metal cladding over the structure's central crane maintenance garage, blasting a 15-square-metre hole. Advertisement The remains of the drone, including its engine, penetrated the second, inner layer and landed inside the garage. That initial impact sparked a hidden inferno within the arch's 'layered cake' of materials — metal cladding, Rockwool insulation, and a crucial 1.5mm sealing membrane. 'When the fire started smouldering under the insulation, it was almost impossible to detect from the outside,' Siryi said. 'We had to use drones with thermal imaging to find the fire hidden inside the layers.' Advertisement To stop the flames from spreading beneath the outer shell, firefighters were forced to cut dozens of small access hatches — about 30 by 30cm — into the dome, pouring water into the insulation from above. But temperatures plunged to minus 16°C, freezing the water and blocking access paths, forcing responders to drill even more holes. 'It was a nightmare,' Siryi said. 'This project was never designed to deal with a direct military strike. We had to invent solutions on the fly.' Advertisement Roughly 30 per cent of the membrane on the northern part of the arch was destroyed in the blaze — a major concern since this air-tight barrier is what maintains pressure that prevents the lethal radiation from escaping. 10 A Ukrainian drone was able to capture footage of the damage Credit: East2West 10 A Russian drone can be seen exploding on impact with Chernobyl's containment dome Credit: X/ZelenskyyUa 10 The engine of the drone lies inside the reactor Credit: East2West Advertisement 10 Ukraine's spies have launched an investigation Credit: Unpixs The damage also extended to the membrane seal between the steel arch and the ground-level concrete structures, leaving a one-metre-wide breach under the dome. 'We now have breaches where the membrane has burned out — this means the design sealing properties are lost,' Siryi explained. 'Without the membrane, the arch can't maintain the air pressure regime that prevents radioactive particles from leaking.' Advertisement Sensors also detected a brief seismic shock from the explosion, but there was no damage to the internal concrete structure beneath the arch, which still holds dangerous remains of nuclear fuel. REPAIR PLANS UNDERWAY Engineers are also monitoring the dome's structural integrity in case of non-military threats like seismic activity. 'A relatively big tremor could also collapse the dome,' Siryi noted. With Ukraine's nuclear legacy once again under threat from war, experts are now warning that the danger of a second Chernobyl disaster is no longer unthinkable. Advertisement Ukrainian forces are now stationed in the exclusion zone to protect the area. Siryi would not say whether he believes the strike was deliberate, but confirmed that surveillance footage showed a 'pretty direct strike on the dome, leading to the fire.' Engineers have now completed a damage survey and drafted a Defect Act. Immediate priority works include patching the main impact hole, sealing the firefighter-drilled access ports, and replacing the destroyed section of membrane — likely with a non-flammable material. Advertisement This project was never designed to deal with a direct military strike Artem Siryi Head of maintenance at the New Safe Confinement (NSC) But that's just the beginning. Siryi said full repairs are a logistical nightmare, complicated by tight access, radiation exposure, and the enormous size of the arch. 'It's technically difficult,' he said. 'Just getting equipment close enough is a challenge, especially around the stormwater basins and tight ground clearances.' Advertisement While work is expected to begin this year, progress depends on funding. Estimates for the initial emergency works run into 'millions of hryvnias'—equivalent to hundreds of thousands of pounds. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has already agreed to fund the surveys and design of the repair plan through the international Chernobyl Cooperation Fund. But approval for the physical work is still pending. Advertisement 'Our goal is to complete the priority tasks this year,' Siryi said. 'After that, we'll test whether the ventilation system can still maintain the proper under-arch conditions. If not, we'll have to develop an entirely new safety strategy.' Siryi added: 'This is not just about patching a hole. This is about protecting the world from another radioactive disaster.' What happened at Chernobyl? WHEN an alarm bellowed out at the The safety switches had been switched off in the early hours to test the turbine but the reactor overheated and generated a blast - the equivalent of 500 nuclear bombs. The reactor's roof was blown off and a plume of radioactive material was blasted into the atmosphere. As air was sucked into the shattered reactor, it ignited flammable carbon monoxide gas causing a fire which burned for nine days. The catastrophe released at least 100 times more radiation than the atom bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Soviet authorities waited 24 hours before evacuating the nearby town of Pripyat - giving the 50,000 residents just three hours to leave their homes. After the accident traces of radioactive deposits were found in Belarus where poisonous But An 18-mile radius known as the 'Exclusion Zone' was set up around the reactor following the disaster. Most recently, on February 24, 2022 during An adviser to the Ukrainian President, Mykhailo Poldoliak, told reporters: "After a fierce battle, our control over the Chernobyl site was lost. "The condition of the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant, confinement, and nuclear waste storage facilities is unknown." That same day Russian troops descended upon Chernobyl, capturing the area rapidly and killing those who stood in their way. Ukrainian President "This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe.' Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the interior minister, told 10 Chernobyl is the site of the worst nuclear disaster in human history Credit: Getty Advertisement
