Latest news with #NewSafeConfinement
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Drones target Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant training centre, IAEA warns of risks
The training centre just outside the perimeter of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has been targeted by drones for the fourth time this year. Source: Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Interfax-Ukraine Details: The IAEA team stationed at the Zaporizhzhia NPP heard repeated gunfire likely directed against drones attacking the plant's training centre, followed by the sound of multiple explosions, Interfax-Ukraine says. The team reported hearing at least five blasts between 11:30 and 13:45 on Thursday 5 June, each preceded by gunfire. No damage to the training centre has been confirmed. Quote from Grossi: "Drones flying close to nuclear power plants could threaten their safety and security, with potentially serious consequences. As I have stated repeatedly during the war, such incidents must stop immediately." More details: The agency noted that in mid-April this year, a drone crashed near the Zaporizhzhia NPP training facility, and in February, another UAV seriously damaged the New Safe Confinement at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Ukraine's operating nuclear power plants in the cities of Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and Pivdennoukrainsk also regularly report sightings of drones near their sites. Background: The International Atomic Energy Agency has reported yet another drone attack near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
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
Free Malaysia Today
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
France pledges €10 mil for Chernobyl repair
The attack, which took place in February, did not result in any radiation being released. (EPA Images pic) LONDON : France will contribute €10 million to help fix a radiation cover at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine allegedly hit by a Russian drone, Europe's development bank announced Wednesday. The amount, equivalent to US$11.2 million, was unveiled at the annual conference of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London. Ukraine has accused Russia of using an explosive drone to damage the containment vault at the power plant in February, in an attack that did not result in any radiation being released. In 1986, a reactor at Chernobyl exploded during a botched safety test, resulting in the world's worst nuclear accident, which sent clouds of radiation across much of Europe and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate. Following the incident this year, France has offered funds 'to support the restoration of the key functions of' the cover, referred to as the New Safe Confinement (NSC). The 'strike rendered systems designed to ensure the NSC's 100-year lifespan non-operational and significantly increased the risk of further deterioration in the absence of swift emergency repairs', said the EBRD, established in 1991 to help former Soviet bloc nations embrace free-market economies. Thanks to funds from France, the EBRD said it 'will support measures to repair the external cladding to stop the ingress of water. 'In the longer term, work will be carried out to restore the core functionality of the facility to minimise the release of further contaminated dust into the environment,' the bank added. France's pledge adds to the EBRD-managed International Chernobyl Cooperation Account, previously holding €25 million in funds. French President Emmanuel Macron's special envoy for the reconstruction of Ukraine, Pierre Heilbronn, said the contribution 'illustrates France's longstanding support for Ukraine. 'French companies played a crucial role in building the NSC (up to completion in 2019), and we hope that this first contribution, which comes only three months after the drone attack, should unlock further pledges from partner countries.' British newspaper The Guardian said the repairs could total tens of millions of euros. The EBRD on Wednesday said it was too early to precisely share the cost of fixing the cover.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
France pledges 10 mn euros for Chernobyl repair: Europe bank
Christine Lagard, President European Central Bank (AP) LONDON: France will contribute 10 million euros to help fix a radiation cover at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine allegedly hit by a Russian drone, Europe's development bank announced Wednesday. The amount, equivalent to $11.2 million, was unveiled at the annual conference of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London. Ukraine has accused Russia of using an explosive drone to damage the containment vault at the power plant in February, in an attack that did not result in any radiation being released. In 1986, a reactor at Chernobyl exploded during a botched safety test, resulting in the world's worst nuclear accident, which sent clouds of radiation across much of Europe and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate. Following the incident this year, France has offered funds "to support the restoration of the key functions of" the cover, referred to as the New Safe Confinement. The "strike rendered systems designed to ensure the NSC's 100-year lifespan non-operational and significantly increased the risk of further deterioration in the absence of swift emergency repairs", said the EBRD, established in 1991 to help former Soviet bloc nations embrace free-market economies. Thanks to funds from France, the EBRD said it "will support measures to repair the external cladding to stop the ingress of water. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like AI guru Andrew Ng recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around in 2025 Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo "In the longer term, work will be carried out to restore the core functionality of the facility to minimise the release of further contaminated dust into the environment," the bank added. France's pledge adds to the EBRD-managed International Chernobyl Cooperation Account, previously holding 25 million euros in funds. French President Emmanuel Macron's special envoy for the reconstruction of Ukraine, Pierre Heilbronn, said the contribution "illustrates France's longstanding support for Ukraine. "French companies played a crucial role in building the NSC (up to completion in 2019), and we hope that this first contribution, which comes only three months after the drone attack, should unlock further pledges from partner countries." British newspaper The Guardian said the repairs could total tens of millions of euros. The EBRD on Wednesday said it was too early to precise the cost of fixing the cover.
