Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the attack. According to the Radiation Protection Agency, fighting near nuclear facilities is a big risk, as they are not designed to withstand war.
The weekend rocket attacks on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine have not caused any radioactive emissions.
– Elevated radiation values have not been measured at the plant site or in its immediate surroundings, says the head of the nuclear power plant monitoring department Tapani Virolainen From the Swedish Radiation Protection Agency (STUK).
Russia and Ukraine each blame the other for the latest attack on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
On the night before Sunday, Ukrainian military rockets hit about 400 meters from the operating reactor, the Russian occupation government said on Sunday.
According to the Ukrainian state nuclear power company Energoatom, the rockets were launched by Russian forces.
– Russian forces are engaged in nuclear terrorism, the company said in its press release.
Russian forces occupied the nuclear power plant in early March, and it has been under Russian control ever since.
As the war has progressed, Ukraine has accused Russia of keeping heavy weapons at the power plant. Moscow, on the other hand, has accused Kyiv of the attacks on the power plant.
No danger to Finland
Zaporizhia is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. The power of the plant, which consists of six reactors, is about 5,700 megawatts and is responsible for a good fifth of the entire electricity production of Ukraine.
STUK’s Virolainen characterizes Zaporižžja’s power plant type as quite safe. Similar pressurized water plants are in use in Finland in Loviisa and the Olkiluoto 3 power plant, which is now under construction.
According to the Estonian, reports of attacks on the facility are very worrying.
– Fighting a war near a nuclear facility is a risk. The reactors are well protected, but their design basis has not been to prepare for war, Virolainen reminds.
According to STUK’s Virolainen, a hit to the plant or the used fuel storage facilities would be the worst possible situation.
– Even in the worst scenario, the effects would remain local. In Finland, due to the long distance, there would be no need to protect yourself from radiation.
– But about ten to a hundred kilometers from the power plant, the situation would be very unpleasant, Virolainen says.
Secretary General of the UN António Guterres has condemned the attacks on Zaporizhia. On Monday, he did not take a position on which side was responsible for the attacks.
– Any attack on a nuclear power plant is suicide. I hope that these attacks will end and at the same time I hope that the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) could enter the facility, Guterres commented at a press conference held in Tokyo.