Latest news with #Plokhy
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine calls out IAEA staff for passing via occupied territories but pins blame on Russia
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry protested on March 2 against International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) staff passing through occupied territories to carry out a rotation at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant but blamed the situation on Russian blackmail. Moscow's "systematic attempts to impose illegal and contradictory operational mechanisms on international organizations" led to "violations of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" by several IAEA staff members, the ministry said. The statement came hours after Russian occupation authorities claimed that a rotation of IAEA personnel had taken place through Russian-controlled territory. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry accused Russia of obstructing the rotation of IAEA staff at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and keeping inspectors under "unprecedented psychological pressure in a high-risk zone." Inspectors from the IAEA, stationed at the Russian-occupied facility to monitor risks and ensure the safety of operations, are meant to rotate every 80 days. The ministry said Russian forces had blocked staff rotations through Ukrainian-controlled territory. "We consider the actions of the IAEA not as a rotation of experts at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant but as a humanitarian evacuation under conditions that threaten the lives and health of the agency's staff," the Foreign Ministry said in an apparent dismissal of the IAEA's capabilities of handling the situation on the ground. The IAEA has not yet commented. The largest nuclear plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, has been under Russian occupation since 2022. While the facility remains under Russian control, it is not currently generating electricity. Read also: Plokhy argues in Chornobyl occupation book that Russia's nuclear blackmail is 'warning for the future' We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Independent
21-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Chernobyl expert warns nuclear disaster in Ukraine ‘only matter of time' due to Russian recklessness
Nuclear disaster in Ukraine is only a 'matter of time' away as long as the international community fails to take tougher action against Russian recklessness, an expert has warned. On Monday three years will have passed since Russian president Vladimir Putin's forces started their full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In that time, Russian carelessness and the weak response from the international community brought Ukraine's power plants to the brink of crisis, argues historian Serhii Plokhy. When the war began on 24 February 2022, explosions erupted near the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine's northern Kyiv region. Earlier that day Russian troops had entered from the Belarus border to the north. Columns of Russian military vehicles moved into Chernobyl, which fell under Moscow's control. 'This recklessness and disregard for life has turned out to be a feature of the entire war,' says Mr Plokhy, who tells the story of the occupation of Chernboyl in his 2024 book Chernobyl Roulette. 'This is basically the way how Russia fights the war.' After another Russian strike on the Chernobyl power plant earlier this month, Mr Plokhy has warned that a crisis at one of Ukraine's nuclear power stations is becoming increasingly likely. A fire broke out after the drone struck a protective shelter surrounding Chernobyl's damaged nuclear reactor. Moscow denied it had struck the site, claiming its military does not attack nuclear infrastructure. But as the war drags on we are edging towards nuclear disaster, in the view of Mr Plokhy. 'We're getting closer and closer to possible disaster as attacks now continue on Chernobyl, and the war is going on in the vicinity of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,' he says. Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, has been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022. Mr Plokhy explains its use as a shield for Russian forces from which they can attack the nearby city of Zaporizhzhia - in the knowledge that Ukraine wouldn't risk major counter-strikes near the plant. As the Trump administration pushes for a ceasefire deal and hints that Kyiv should accept some of Russia's terms, the debate over whether Ukraine should give up territory to Moscow, including Zaporizhzhia power plant, rages on. For Mr Plokhy, a deal involving Russian control over the power plant would not produce a durable peace. Russia would remain too close to key Ukrainian cities - including Zaporizhzhia city - and Kyiv would seek to push the Russians further away. But he does not believe Ukrainian forces should use military force to remove Russians from the plant. 'By no means [should] direct attack on the plant [be carried out], because then we are playing Russian roulette. I don't think this is the way to proceed,' he says. The 2022 occupation of Chernobyl should serve as the blueprint, with Ukrainian forces encircling the site, threatening supply and communication lines until the Russians have no option but to leave he says. Western countries, in Mr Plokhy's view, have failed to effectively respond to Russia's rash behaviour around nuclear sites. Substantive action is necessary to prevent disaster, he explains, because to 'have a major accident, you don't need even to hit a nuclear site'. 'It is a matter of time [until nuclear disaster] if there is no response from the international community. If there is no consolidated response from the world as a whole, then there will be escalation. It's very simple. No response, then it's accepted, then this is the norm. 'It is basically saying OK to possible nuclear disaster - if not nuclear war.' The 2022 Chernobyl occupation, which lasted for five weeks until Russia withdrew from the Kyiv region in order to focus its operations on the offensive in the east, 'should have, but didn't' serve as a wake up call about Russia's willingness to play fast-and-loose around nuclear sites, he adds. Mr Plokhy believes sanctions on Rosatom - the Russian state energy cooperation which has been involved in the occupation of Zaporizhzhia power plant and whose boss last Wednesday said the site could supply electricity to Russian-occupied Crimea - should be 'very seriously considered'. Moscow needs to see a 'very strong message coming from the US, Europe and China… that this is unacceptable'. A new international convention is needed, Mr Plokhy argues, in which the International Atomic Energy Agency - or another institution - is empowered to protect nuclear sites during a period of war.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Plokhy argues in Chornobyl occupation book that Russia's nuclear blackmail is ‘warning for the future'
The specter of nuclear war cast a long shadow over the 20th century, serving as a reminder of humanity's capacity for self-destruction. Now, as the world seems to shrug off Russia's nuclear saber-rattling against Ukraine — and by extension, all of humanity — a haunting question calls for an answer: Have we grown dangerously numb to the threat of a looming apocalypse? Ukrainian historian Serhii Plokhy's book 'Chernobyl Roulette' chronicles the 35-day occupation of the Chornobyl nuclear plant at the start of the full-scale war, highlighting the harrowing day-to-day experiences that the nearly 300 Ukrainians — firefighters, operators, and members of the National Guard — who were stationed there had to endure. (Plokhy, somewhat perplexingly, distinguishes between the Ukrainian "Chornobyl" and the Russian "Chernobyl,' in the book, using Ukrainian spelling to refer to the territory under independent Ukraine, while the latter refers to the nuclear plant and the site of the infamous disaster during Soviet times). Among the recollections from plant workers are instances such as having to persuade the occupying Russian soldiers not to disturb the 1986 disaster site in their misguided quest for 'proof' of hidden nuclear weapons. They believed that there were hidden 'American laboratories allegedly working on the production of Ukrainian nuclear weapons,' as Plokhy writes. After an initial search turned up nothing, the Russian soldiers reportedly considered digging into the mounds erected over the debris from the 1986 nuclear disaster. The plant workers convinced them otherwise, warning that doing so would only put the Russian soldiers at risk of nuclear contamination. As Plokhy puts it, the Russian soldiers realized upon listening to them they 'would be digging their own radioactive grave.' Despite such tense standoffs during the occupation, the bravery and quick thinking of Chornobyl's workers helped prevent another nuclear disaster. Yet, nearly three years later, Russia continues its nuclear blackmail. The gap between those who rely on logic and those driven by blind propaganda has only widened, leaving little room for persuasion or reason. On Feb. 14, Russia launched a long-range Shahed drone at the nuclear plant, breaking through the 'sarcophagus,' the protective structure covering the remnants of reactor number four, which exploded in the 1986 disaster. In the most extensively documented war in modern history, where each passing week unveils a new, seemingly unimaginable tragedy that risks overshadowing the last, a book that chronicles a decisive moment of the war is not only valuable but essential. The erasure of history, after all, is a key force driving Russian soldiers to take up arms and invade a neighboring country, fueling Russian leader Vladimir Putin's delusional claims that Russia's mission is to "denazify" Ukraine. That ignorance was laid bare during the occupation of Chornobyl when Russian soldiers, upon seizing the nuclear plant, demanded that leadership surrender "Banderites" and members of the Right Sector, a coalition of ultra-nationalist groups that have come to be seen as a sort of Ukrainian boogeyman in Russian propaganda. Plokhy describes in the book how Valentyn Heiko, a night shift foreman at the station, inquired about their criteria for identifying such individuals and was met with silence; he boldly suggested they start with him. Plokhy also writes how Heiko was among those who dealt with Russian forces directly during the occupation, striving to negotiate conditions that would allow the Ukrainian staff at the plant to continue their work undisturbed. Defiant yet pragmatic, Heiko told the Russian soldiers at the start of the occupation, 'Even though I detest you, I swore before the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to uphold nuclear security,' and emphasized that Chornobyl was not just any nuclear facility, but a post-accident plant with unique, critical concerns. The Russian capture of Chornobyl had been swift and without violence. As Plokhy highlights throughout the book, the plant's workers were constantly 'trying to balance loyalty to their families, their homeland, and innocent civilians in Ukraine and beyond who would suffer the consequences of a nuclear accident should it occur.' Russian soldiers' threats to attack the Chornobyl plant — despite the 1986 disaster being a shared history between Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus — left many Ukrainians who came of age during that period in disbelief. 'We liquidated the (consequences of the) accident together. For them to do this to us now just makes me feel sorry for (those people),' Ivan Kovalchuk, a firefighter involved in the 1986 cleanup, remarked. Southward, in Enerhodar, Zaporizhzhia Oblast — a city where nearly a quarter of the 53,000 residents worked at Europe's largest nuclear plant — efforts unfolded to defend the plant and prevent another occupation of a nuclear facility. Plokhy recounts how the initial Russian attempt to seize the city was thwarted by defiant locals who outright rejected them. Russian forces, "surprised not to have been welcomed," initially turned back before launching their assault. As Russian forces opened fire on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Plokhy writes, its employees scrambled to reduce the power level of an active reactor, broadcasting a desperate plea over the loudspeaker: 'Stop shooting at a dangerous nuclear facility! Stop shooting immediately! You are threatening the security of the whole world!' The warning went unheeded. Citing reports from Ukrainian military intelligence, Plokhy also writes about how Russian occupiers mined the area surrounding the plant. Those remaining in Enerhodar are forced to take Russian passports under threat of violence. One of the most striking critiques in Plokhy's book is his examination of the IAEA's muted response at the onset of the full-scale war. While Ukrainian nuclear plant workers pushed themselves to the brink, both physically and mentally, to avert a global catastrophe, the IAEA initially refrained from directly condemning Russia for its nuclear blackmail, a silence that raises troubling questions about accountability. One example is Director General Rafael Grossi's statement on Feb. 25, 2022, when he referred to 'unidentified armed forces' at the nuclear plant. While there were technically no insignia identifying the soldiers as Russian citizens, as was the case during the illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, 'everyone knew who the occupiers were' at that point, as Plokhy writes. The IAEA 'would take not hours or days but weeks' to condemn Russia by name. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support us Even in the aftermath of the recent Feb. 14 attack, which penetrated the sarcophagus, the IAEA did nothing to condemn Russia. In a post on X, the official account's statement only read that 'the IAEA team at the Chornobyl site heard an explosion' and that they 'were informed' that a drone had struck the roof. One possible explanation for the IAEA's measured response could lie in its relationship with Russia itself. As Plokhy points out, Russia plays a significant role as a major donor to the IAEA. Moreover, one of Director General Grossi's six deputy directors, Mikhail Chudakov, is a seasoned figure from Russia's nuclear industry. Chudakov's role at the IAEA has raised significant concerns about conflicts of interest, particularly due to his leadership of its Department of Nuclear Energy. This department, which oversees the expansion of nuclear energy into new markets, aligns with the strategic interests of companies like Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear energy giant with which Chudakov had prior professional associations. 'It was only the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War and Rosatom's involvement in the takeover of the Chernobyl nuclear plant that attracted global attention to Grossi's deputy,' Plokhy writes. The Swiss energy counselor wrote to Grossi, urging that Chudakov be excluded from any dealings related to Ukraine and that his access to classified information be restricted. As of this book review, however, Chudakov remains one of Grossi's deputy director generals and continues to lead the IAEA's Department of Nuclear Energy. The success of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in northern Kyiv Oblast led to the Russian withdrawal from Chornobyl by the end of March 2022. Simultaneously, several Russian soldiers were diagnosed with acute radiation poisoning, as it was later revealed that they had been digging fortifications in the Red Forest, one of the most highly contaminated areas on the planet. Russian soldiers' ignorance led them to believe they were invading Ukraine to "save" its people, just as they were wrong in their understanding of the plant's operations, convinced that American-supplied plutonium for Ukrainian nuclear weapons could be stored there without the knowledge of international organizations like the IAEA. Despite the plant workers repeatedly exposing their ignorance during the occupation, the Russian soldiers remained steadfast in their delusions, even attempting — unsuccessfully — to recruit some as collaborators. Although another catastrophe at Chornobyl has been avoided, the ongoing Russian aerial attacks and the occupation of Europe's largest nuclear plant in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast underscore the precariousness of the situation and Russia's continued nuclear blackmail against the world. Meanwhile, Russia's continued membership in organizations like the United Nations and the IAEA raises doubts about the effectiveness and integrity of the international institutions meant to avoid such conflicts. Regardless of how the coming weeks and months unfold in the war, Plokhy warns that Russia's nuclear threats serve as a stark 'warning for the future' in an increasingly conflict-ridden world. Hi, this is Kate Tsurkan, thanks for reading this article. There is an ever-increasing amount of books about or related to Ukraine available to English-language readers, and I hope my recommendations prove useful when it comes to your next trip to the bookstore. Ukrainian culture has taken on an even more important meaning during wartime, so if you like reading about this sort of thing, Read also: 'Donbas is fiction' — Kateryna Zarembo's book dismantles Russian myths about Ukraine's east We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
