Russia’s attack on the arch of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant may postpone the dismantling of the old Soviet sarcophagus. What is known?
27 March 15:31
Due to the Russian shelling of the sarcophagus at Unit 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the dismantling of the old Soviet sarcophagus, which was built after the 1986 explosion at the power plant, may have to be postponed.
This was reported by the New York Times, which spoke with experts and engineers involved in the construction of the arch at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
The arch over Unit 4 was built precisely in order to eventually dismantle the old Soviet sarcophagus, whose condition was deteriorating from year to year. It was expected that by the end of 2025, a plan to dismantle the old sarcophagus would be approved, but due to the Russian attack, it seems that such intentions will have to be postponed.
Experts spoken to by the New York Times explain that dismantling the Soviet sarcophagus would have raised radioactive dust that would have begun to disperse around. This would have been prevented by the new arch, which was created using special technologies to prevent corrosion.
Andriy Siryi, Head of the New Safe Confinement Operation Department at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, said that after the attack, firefighters had to break through the structure and spray water inside, as there could be fire centers, despite the fact that the space inside the arch should be dry.
Because of this, the hole that appeared in the new sarcophagus due to Russian shelling could accelerate the corrosion of the structure and further deteriorate the condition of the old Soviet protection.
“Full restoration of the site is almost impossible. To bring it as close to its original condition as possible would likely require hundreds of millions of dollars,” Andriy Siryi told the NYT.
What happened at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant?
On the night of February 14, the Russian occupiers attacked Ukraine with 133 Shahed-type attack drones and imitation drones. The Ukrainian military shot down 73 UAVs, and another 58 were lost in the area.
During the attack, a Russian attack drone with an explosive warhead hit the New Safe Confinement, which covers the old sarcophagus and the destroyed power unit No. 4 at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Emergency workers found several places with damage.
What does the SNRIU say?
The SNRIU Chairman explained that a Russian drone attacked the Arch of the New Safe Confinement, making a hole in the structure. In addition, a fire broke out there. Thus, both the outer and inner shells, lifting equipment were damaged, ventilation systems are not working, and there are problems with power supply.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Russians had deliberately hit the sarcophagus at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, as evidenced by the low altitude of the drone. Law enforcement officers opened a case under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – violation of the laws and customs of war.
