Alarming new warnings about Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

Nearly two years since the war in Ukraine began, the IAEA and Ukrainian officials are increasingly worried that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant -- the largest in Europe -- could be on the brink. NBC News' Richard Engel reports.

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#Ukraine #Nuclear #Zaporizhzhia

[louistan]

Should anything happen to it, it will be most damaging to Eastern Europe. Unfortunately.

[PIurn]

I remember watching this on livestream, truly put into perspective what was going on over there.

[jeffperteet]

Leaving this to chance is a failure of the entire world, not just the warring parties.

[mickgarbutt]

Maybe if Ukraine stopped shelling the plant the risk would diminish?

[idontreplytoyourreplydontr]

Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant - russians shelling themselves inside the plant???

[lamsmiley]

if Russia was to cause a meltdown it would almost certainly cause Article 5 to be triggered. Lets hope that doesn't happen.

[Jumbo]

If they upturn the top soil with barrages then it’ll get sticky again quickly

[san]

ok did anyone else notice how he said lost ? @ 1:56 ?

[CalgaryStampedersClassics]

This has been largely left out of the news for so long and I feel like it’s going to be a disaster…

[HuskBS]

This was almost 2 years ago, what makes it a possible disaster now?

[Heal_Hound]

If Russia holds the NPP, and Russia is advancing, then why is the NPP being attacked? I think we have a "A Few Good Men" type situation here, and Ukraine is Colonel Jessup.

[robertlee]

Propaganda Russia has held this territory for over a year.

[lucid]

So Russian occupy the plant and the territory around ...so why did the Russians shell them self ? 😂😂😂😂😂😂 things did not add up 😂😂😂😂

[californianews]

It's definitely concerning to hear about situations involving nuclear power plants, especially in conflict zones like Zaporizhzhia. It's important in these times to stay informed and hope for the best outcomes. The bravery and resilience of those working to ensure safety in such challenging circumstances are truly admirable. Let's keep hoping for a peaceful resolution and the safety of everyone involved. Remember, even in tough times, the human spirit's capacity for problem-solving and perseverance is remarkable. Stay strong and positive! 🌟

[aburakadabura]

In the most recent poll, 74% of the American public said they strongly support continued military assistance to Ukraine.

[Acetheskyhook]

Still failing to see why its in danger now?

[FredoSantana]

This is simply not true. A meltdown is technically IMPOSSIBLE if the cooling system was to fail.
Explanation as to why:

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plants VVER-1000 reactors use water to cool the system down. But the chain reaction process (neutrons colliding with and splitting uranium atoms to release more neutrons to split more atoms) also requires something in between (called a moderator) in order to slow these neutrons down before it can hit a uranium atom. Water is a good moderator as it slows down neutrons, without this moderator, neutrons would travel too fast to split uranium atoms, so the chain reaction could not be sustained and it will eventually stop and a meltdown could never happen.

When you have water as a moderator, if the cooling system fails for whatever reason and the reactor heats up, it will also heat the water up and evaporate it into steam. Steam is not a good moderator and so the reactivity would stop. The chernobyl RBMK-1000 reactors used graphite as a moderator which is why when the reactor heated up, the reactivity carried on and caused a meltdown because graphite will not evaporate like water, this is not what caused the disaster but it contributed. Graphite is more efficient at slowing down neutrons than water which is why it was used but it poses a serious safety risk

[felipe-vibor]

If it's Russian held then who are they attacking?

[laisramleinganba]

So why is Ukraine not retreating and let the Russian control it without bothering them?

[Meglenger]

Why is it running rn? And if it's in shutdown how much longer until it can be unloaded??