It is therefore very unlikely that the conflict will cause sufficient damage to the reactor to cause a nuclear disaster.īut the plant is also vulnerable to disruption to the cooling facilities and power supplies supporting the reactor, and these facilities are far more vulnerable to damage as a result of fighting in the vicinity of the plant. It is designed to withstand massive impacts and explosions far greater than the mortars and artillery shells that have been fired near the facility to date. It is also worth noting, however, that the reactor itself is incredibly well protected. But, the plant has everted to this back-up several times this year alone. Although there are numerous back-up generators, this is the "last line of defence" and is only meant to be there for use in extremis - once in a generation. There have been several occasions when the plant has been cut off from the national electrical grid, which has required the plant to resort to back up generators for vital electrical power. This has led to justifiable concerns that fighting in the vicinity of the nuclear reactor could compromise safety and lead to a nuclear accident. However, in direct contravention of the Geneva Convention, Russia has used the sprawling nuclear plant to hide military equipment and personnel in the full knowledge that they would be safe from Ukrainian attack, given the proximity of very sensitive and vulnerable nuclear capability. The nuclear plant at Zaporizhzhia is the biggest in Europe and was a target for Russia very early in its illegal invasion of Ukraine.Ĭrimea is heavily dependent on fresh water from Ukraine, and electricity from the nuclear plant, so Russia has a vested interest in its continued safe operation. Military analyst Sean Bell has answered this one. The latest comes from Sam, who asks: Could we see something as bad as Chernobyl in this conflict or is the world and this nuclear plant better equipped for an emergency? We've received a wide range of questions on the war and have been putting to our experts and senior correspondents. Russia has been trying to recruit more men to sign up with the defence ministry since this spring.īooths signing up volunteers have been set up near metro stations and business centres, placards and ads calling to sign up for the army are all over Moscow.Įarlier this week, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said 231,000 personnel had been contracted so far this year. Relatives of those already mobilized have been complaining online that there needs to be a rotation of soldiers on the front. There have been rumours of a new wave of mobilization this fall on Russian social media. Those found guilty will face a fine of up to half a million rubles or imprisonment for up to five years under the bill. Prison terms are set to be introduced for people evading military service in Russia, a Moscow official has said.Ī bill legally making the change will be presented to the State Duma - the lower house of Russian parliament - this autumn, the head of the defence committee said. "Even though the attack was on a military asset and not on a commercial one, it still illustrates that Ukraine can strike Russian commercial ports." "The attack does lend teeth to Ukraine’s statement that Russian ports in the Black Sea are off limits to merchant shipping," he said. While the strike hit a military vessel, it does show Ukraine "can strike Russia commercial ports" if it wanted to, Mr Kaushal said. The weapon has previously been used on "Russian frigates and mine countermeasures vessels near Sevastopol" and the "Ivan Khurs intelligence vessel near the Bosporus", he added. He said the Ukrainians seem to have used an uncrewed surface vessel to carry out this morning's attack. "The Ukrainians have an incentive to both disrupt Russian logistics, of which naval assets provide a portion, and to impose counter pressure for Russia's own blockade of Odessa," Sidharth Kaushal said. The attack is the first time a commercial Russian port has been targeted - but more of these strikes could be on the way.Ī Ropucha-class landing ship, named the Olenegorsky Gornyak, appeared to have been damaged by the drones, with video showing it being towed back into port, listing on its port side.Īsked if Ukraine will launch similar attacks, a research fellow in sea power at RUSI told Sky News it is "relatively likely". In the early hours of this morning, Ukraine launched a sea drone strike on a Russian port in the southern city of Novorossiysk.
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