Nuclear warning hits Ukraine as ruptured dam reservoir can no longer cool reactors
Tim McNulty
5 hours ago
Concern over water supply for cooling the reactors
Ukraine faces a major nuclear catastrophe as the operator of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant warns that the water supply for cooling the reactors, which was previously sourced from a damaged reservoir, is no longer usable.

On Tuesday, the Kakhovka dam located on the Dnieper River was demolished, resulting in the displacement of thousands and the destruction of nearby towns and villages.

Cooling systems in nuclear power plants rely on substantial quantities of water from coastal areas or estuaries.

In the absence of effective cooling, the temperature within the nuclear reactor core can dangerously escalate.

The current concern revolves around potential disasters at the Zaporizhzhia facility due to the region's depleted water levels.

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Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
Concern over water level in nuclear power station's ponds
Ukrhydroenergo's CEO, Igor Syrota, stated that the water level in the reservoir had fallen "below the critical point of 12.7 meters (42 feet)."

According to his statement on Ukrainian television, this implies that the reservoir could no longer provide sufficient cooling for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station's ponds.

Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, mentioned earlier this week that if the water level dropped below 12.7 meters, it would no longer be possible to pump water.

However, the current water present in the cooling ponds at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and other locations can still be utilized for a period of time to cool the reactors and the spent fuel pools in the reactor buildings.



Additionally, Grossi stated that there is a large cooling pond adjacent to the facility that is currently filled to capacity and has sufficient reserves to provide water to the plant for several months, considering that its six reactors are in a state of shutdown.

Since October of last year, Ukraine has been issuing warnings that Russian forces planted explosives in the hydroelectric dam and accused them of triggering an explosion that has resulted in the flooding of downstream areas.

Russia, on the other hand, claimed that Ukraine targeted the dam with a missile. Experts have noted that the dam was already in a state of disrepair, which could have contributed to its collapse.

There were no indications of a missile attack on the few remaining buildings.

Explosion caused a dam to collapse in southern Ukraine.
The Dnieper River serves as a frontline in the ongoing war, and due to the conflict, many people had already evacuated the region. Ukraine controls the western bank, while Russia holds the vulnerable, low-lying eastern side, which is more prone to flooding.

This dam and reservoir are also critical for supplying water to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

The Dnieper River is divided, with Ukraine holding the western bank and Russia controlling the eastern bank, which is at a lower elevation and more susceptible to flooding.

Rising flood water has the potential to erode the current harvest, while the diminished Kakhovka reservoir would hinder sufficient irrigation for future agricultural seasons