However much or little a person might know about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, there’s one name that will catch the attention of EVERYBODY… the name synonymous with nuclear meltdown.
A concern raised by many since the very beginning of this conflict was what happens to the whole region if Chernobyl gets hit?
As of Friday morning, radiation levels inside and outside Chernobyl remain normal and stable according to the UN’s nuclear watchdog (the IAEA).
Russia has denied any claims it attacked Chernobyl, stating its military does not strike Ukrainian nuclear infrastructure and “any claims that this was the case do not correspond to reality”.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which monitors nuclear safety around the world, said fire safety personnel and vehicles responded within minutes to an overnight explosion. No casualties were reported, the agency added.
The agency remains on “high alert” after the incident, with its director general Rafael Mariano Grossi saying there is “no room for complacency”. — BBC
The Russian denials came from the Kremlin’s Dmitry Peskov.
Here’s the footage:
UKRAINE: Russian drone hit the shelter housing the Chernobyl nuclear power plant causing a large explosion. It is time to sue for peace before it is too late.
h/t @rawsalerts pic.twitter.com/wrpu6SvWcW
— @amuse (@amuse) February 14, 2025
There’s a range of opinion on who to blame, whether Russians to seek advantage, Zelenskyy’s allies to prolong the conflict and keep the gravy train rolling, or even rogue and/or third party agitators who see broader advantages to be gained by the attrition this war is inflicting on both sides.
One account, who thinks the Russians are to blame, posted a sobering reminder of the stakes of what can go wrong if the containment units fall.
A Russian suicide drone has hit the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
– There’s still 185 tons of nuclear material inside Chernobyl, with no active means to control criticality.
– 95% of reactor fuel is still inside, totaling 16 million curies of radioactivity.
Forms of irradiated fuel inside:
• Core fragments
• Lava-like fuel-containing materials (LFCM)
• Fine-dispersed fuel (dust, hot particles)
• Secondary uranium minerals
He also included daylight images of the post-strike damage to the containment structure.
As if anyone needed a reminder that the stakes of this conflict are high…
