Nuclear breakdown: what is the threat of the shelling of the Zaporozhye NPP VFU

As a result of another attack, the Kakhovskaya high-voltage line was damaged

Armed formations of Ukraine again fired at the Zaporozhye NPP, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on August 8. As a result, the high-voltage line was damaged, there was a voltage surge that caused smoke on the switchgear of the station. The Russian military department called the shelling "a new act of nuclear terrorism." Experts recalled that a serious incident at a nuclear power plant could lead to an atomic explosion or radiation contamination of the area. On the same day, Russia said that after a series of high-precision strikes, the Ukrainian national formation "Kraken" lost its combat capability.

An act of nuclear terrorism

On Monday, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that on August 7, at about 12:40 a.m., Ukrainian formations of the 44th Artillery Brigade fired at the Zaporozhye NPP. The fire was conducted from the opposite shore of the Kakhovsky reservoir from the area of the city of Manganese. The Russian military department called the incident "a new act of nuclear terrorism at the power infrastructure facilities of the Zaporozhye NPP" in order to create a humanitarian catastrophe in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.

Photo: REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

Image source: iz.ru

— As a result of the Ukrainian shelling, the Kakhovskaya high-voltage line, which provided electricity to the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, was damaged. There was a power surge at the NPP, which caused smoke on the open switchgear of the station. The protection system also worked, which turned off the power supply, — said the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov.

The military department also reported that the arrived fire crews managed to eliminate the smoke. To prevent disruption of the operation of the nuclear power plant by the plant's technical staff, the capacity of the 5th and 6th power units was reduced to 500 MW.

Zaporizhia NPP has been shelled by the VFU more than once. For example, on August 5, Ukrainian formations carried out artillery strikes on the territory of the station and Energodar three times. Part of the equipment of power unit No. 3 was de-energized at the NPP, the generated power of power unit No. 4 was reduced, and a flare fire occurred at the hydrogen station.

The shelling of the Zaporozhye NPP is an attempt to use a nuclear facility as a weapon of mass destruction, former Deputy UN Secretary General Sergei Ordzhonikidze told Izvestia.

— We are talking about an attempt by the Ukrainian army to turn a nuclear power plant into a source of nuclear pollution, — the expert believes. — All strikes are inflicted purposefully and consciously. Ukrainian President Zelensky even before the start of the special military operation said that they wanted to get the so-called "dirty" atomic bomb. They did not do it, but they are going to the same goal, however, using other methods. A nuclear power plant can become a source of contamination of the area if a serious accident occurs on it. And such attacks can lead to a nuclear explosion.

View of the Zaporozhye NPP in the city of Energodar, Zaporozhye region

Image source: Photo: REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

Sergei Ordzhonikidze noted that the UN and the IAEA are not actively responding to these attacks.

— There were appeals to the UN, — he reminded. — But they haven't really done anything yet. The IAEA should have reacted harshly and taken effective measures immediately, but we don't see this yet either. In this situation, it would probably be best to stop the nuclear power plant.

Ordinary people will suffer the most from an atomic emergency, the expert noted.

"And these, oddly enough, are citizens of Ukraine,— Sergei Ordzhonikidze stressed. — Apparently, the Ukrainian authorities think that a nuclear explosion or an incident can stop a special military operation. But the military always has more opportunities to protect themselves from an explosion or radiation than ordinary people.

Weak "Kraken"

On August 8, the Russian armed forces continued to strike at the military infrastructure of Ukraine, as a result of which the enemy is suffering heavy losses.

— As a result of strikes by precision air-launched missiles in the Kharkiv area, the temporary deployment points of the battalion of the 92nd Mechanized Brigade and the 122nd battalion of the 113th Territorial Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were hit. The enemy's losses amounted to up to 150 servicemen and 14 units of automotive and armored vehicles," Igor Konashenkov said.

Up to 70 nationalists and 14 units of automotive equipment were destroyed by the strikes of the Russian Aerospace Forces on the combat positions of the 105th and 106th battalions of the 63rd Mechanized Brigade of the VFU.

In the area of Novopoltavka, Mykolaiv region, up to 30 servicemen and five units of automotive equipment of the 18th battalion of the 35th Brigade of the VFU Marine Corps were destroyed.

In addition, as a result of pinpoint strikes by missile troops and the Russian Aerospace Forces at the points of temporary deployment of Ukrainian nationalists, as well as mass losses and desertion of mercenaries, the Kraken national formation lost its combat capability. The command is urgently trying to make up for the losses at the expense of the residents of Kharkov.

During the day, five control points were destroyed by strikes of operational-tactical, army aviation, missile troops and artillery, including the operational-tactical group of the VFU "Soledar" and the 63rd mechanized brigade, five ammunition depots, as well as ammunition depots of the 66th, 110th mechanized and 56th motorized infantry brigades and 117 areas of concentration of troops, the military department said.

During the counter-battery struggle, a battery of multiple launch rocket systems "Hurricane", a battery of self-propelled artillery installations "Acacia", combat vehicles of the American MLRS "Haimars", three platoons of MLRS "Grad", four artillery platoons of guns "Msta-B" and two platoons of guns "Hyacinth-B" in firing positions were smashed.

Russian air defenses shot down seven unmanned aerial vehicles, three Tochka-U ballistic missiles and 19 rockets of the American Haimars multiple launch rocket system during the day.

— In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 263 aircraft, 145 helicopters, 1708 unmanned aerial vehicles, 363 anti—aircraft missile systems, 4269 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 791 multiple rocket launcher combat vehicles, 3276 field artillery and mortars, as well as 4774 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed, - Igor listed Konashenkov.

VFU mines bridges

The armed formations of Ukraine continue to use the civilian infrastructure for military purposes, Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the National Defense Management Center of the Russian Federation, said on August 8.

In Krasnotorka (DPR), artillery and MLRS were placed in private houses on Krasnotorskaya and Krzhizhanovsky streets of the VFU, from which they systematically bombard the positions of the Russian Armed Forces, provoking return fire. At the same time, the militants keep local residents in their homes, using them as a "human shield".

In Nikolaev, territorial defense units are deployed in the buildings of the Black Sea National University and School No. 16, ammunition depots are equipped. Armored vehicles are located in the immediate vicinity of the training facilities, evacuation of residents from nearby houses was not carried out.

In Artemovsk (DPR), artillery and mortar positions are equipped in the courtyards of residential buildings on Blagoveshchenskaya Street. Local residents of the VFU are not given the opportunity to leave their homes, and all their attempts to evacuate to safe areas on their own are severely suppressed.

In Mirnograd (DPR), in the building of school No. 1, the units of the VFU placed a strong point and an ammunition depot, checkpoints were set up along the perimeter, the approaches to the institution were mined.

Mikhail Mizintsev also reported that in the village of Vasinovka in the Zaporozhye region of the Far Eastern Federal University, a road bridge over the Zherebets River was mined. They plan to blow it up and accuse the Russian Armed Forces of destroying the transport infrastructure.

Sappers will provide a breakthrough

The Ministry of Defense told about the soldiers and officers of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the 2nd Army Corps of the People's Militia of the LPR, who showed courage and dedication during the special operation.

The commander of the repair platoon, Senior Warrant Officer Dmitry Kosyug, has been repairing and restoring weapons systems and military equipment damaged during the fighting since the first days of the special military operation. He managed to put more than a hundred units back into operation — Ural and KamAZ cars, as well as MT-LB multi-purpose transporters. In addition, he trained ten highly qualified repair specialists in new methods, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation noted.

Senior Sergeant Anton Mansurovsky, the deputy platoon commander of the Engineering sapper unit, has been conducting engineering reconnaissance since the first days of his military training. In one of the battles, Anton managed to destroy the militants' defensive facilities, neutralize more than two dozen mines and destroy a machine-gun point along with its calculation, and then hit a nationalist car with personnel from a regular weapon.

— Anton Mansurovsky's professional skills, his courage and bravery contributed to the rapid offensive and advance of the units of the Russian Airborne Troops, as well as their combat mission to capture an important frontier, - the military department said.

The battalion commander of the 2nd Army Corps of the People's Militia of the LPR, Senior Lieutenant Yevgeny Ryabets, has been serving since 2014, and previously was in the ranks of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. His battalion is formed from the militia. Yevgeny's unit took part in the battles for the liberation of large settlements of the LPR, dozens of fortified areas and destroyed military equipment of the VFU. In the abandoned enemy positions, his fighters find a lot of weapons manufactured by the USA, Great Britain, Germany and foreign products, canned food and dry rations.

Bogdan Stepovoy

Andrey Fedorov