After announcing its military operation in Ukraine, the Russian army has captured the Chernobyl power plant on Thursday.
Russian Forces Take Over Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant | Courtesy: Web
According to Ukrainian officials, Russian armed forces captured Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Mykhailo Podoliak, the advisor to the head of the President’s Office of Ukraine, said that the senseless invasion of the Russian forces on Thursday amounted to one of the most significant threats in Europe today.
Russia’s armed forces have seized control of Chernobyl and have now a strategic advantage for entering the Capital City of Kyiv. pic.twitter.com/LjS3FwgSEi
History hasn’t forgotten the disaster that happened back in 1986 at Chernobyl Power Plant and led to the loss of both money and human lives. Ukraine’s president has called the global community’s attention that history might repeat itself if Russia didn’t stop its invasion.
Volodymyr Zelensky praised the warriors of Ukraine who are putting their lives on the line to avoid such tragedy from happening again. He also mentioned that Russia is not just invading Ukraine instead, the whole of Europe.
After the incident of 1986, in which the core of reactor #4 was exploded, there was no sighting of life in a 32 km radius of the plant, and the area is labeled as an “exclusion zone.” However, the radioactive levels remained dangerously high, which led to the total shutdown and decommissioning of the plant and its other three reactors in 2000.
However, that didn’t stop Russian troops from invading the region, as a report stated that the soldiers had crossed the exclusion zone on Thursday. White House has further added that the forces have taken the staff hostages.
Chernobyl holds its strategic importance by locating about 130 km (80 m) north of the capital Kyiv and provides a straight path to the city.
Opinions of Professionals on the Subject
Samantha Turner, a security fellow at the Truman National Security Project, has elaborated that, although the control of the exclusion zone does not hold significance on its own, it could provide a path to the invading troops to the Dnipro River.
Russian Forces Seize Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant | Source: Web
A radioactive waste material professor from the University of Sheffield, Claire Corkhill, stated that Russians are considered one of the most experienced nuclear operators. Corkhill has her six-year contribution to the international cleanup effort at Chernobyl.
Among her many achievements, the construction of a 32,000-tonne dome around the radioactive reactor was notable. Additionally, the construction was a collaborative effort of over 30 countries, contributing $1.5 billion to the project. But now due to Russia’s invasion, the project is likely to get paused and can prolong up to 50 years.
According to Dr. Taras Kuzio, a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, Russia’s takeover of Chernobyl can be described as a symbolic win for Mr. Putin. Dr. Taras further added that Russia’s President might be playing a nuclear weaponry card to send a strong message to the West, but his action requires close attention.
