Are the European concerns about the Zaporizhzhia station justified or political exaggerations? – Al-Baath Media

Dr. Saoud Jamal Saoud

The Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant located in Enerhodar, Ukraine. It is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. The plant produces nearly half of Ukraine’s electricity from nuclear power. It is one of four major nuclear power plants in Ukraine. It has been beneficial for Ukrainians for civilian use. The Russians’ proper advance planning for the special operation required that Ukraine’s sources of power be dried up.

Indeed, Russian forces took control of the station in early March 2022, days after the start of the Russian operation in Ukraine in 2022. The battles between Ukrainian and Russian forces approached the station near the town of Enerhodar, and one of the station buildings caught fire, raising fears and concerns across Europe about the possible consequences of targeting the station.

These concerns have been translated into calls by the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency. On August 7, 2022, the agency called for the establishment of a demilitarized zone around the giant Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which is occupied by Russia. The agency said in its latest report: “While the ongoing bombing has not yet caused a nuclear emergency, it still represents a continuing threat to nuclear safety and security due to the potential impact on vital safety measures that could lead to radiological consequences of great severity.”

Perhaps the same concerns are what prompted the French and Ukrainian presidents to make a phone call on September 10, 2022. The Elysee Palace statement stated that the two leaders discussed the situation at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and expressed their support for the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

When investigating the reasons to determine the seriousness of European concerns and their logic of targeting the station, it is clear that Russia did not use it as a military shield from which to launch its operations in exchange for protection from what could result from it. Rather, it is clear that most of the incidents were carried out by the Ukrainians, exploiting this as a political pressure card against Russia to condemn it before the international community, which quickly pointed fingers at them, and there is a lot of evidence. In return, Russia accused Kiev forces of firing on the complex, and the station’s external energy sources were cut off several times, which are necessary for its safe operation. The aim was to create a crisis and accuse Russia of it as an international crime. Perhaps this is what the European plans are intended for, not just the Ukrainian ones, because it is known in international law that targeting nuclear power plants is prohibited under the Geneva Convention. According to the first protocol to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, attacks on dams, trenches, and nuclear power plants are prohibited if the losses resulting from the flow of radioactive materials are “serious” in their impact on civilians.

Despite the above, European countries continue to use fears about the station as a pretext, and there is a lot of evidence, including what the British Ministry of Defense said and deliberately promoted, that Russia is using the region to launch attacks, exploiting the location of the nuclear power station to reduce the risk of night attacks by Ukrainian forces.

Another piece of evidence is what the European Union is promoting, when the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said that he “condemns Russian military activities” around the station, forgetting the deliberate provocations by Ukraine and that Russia has full control and protection of the station, and it is not in its security and military interest for any mistake or military action to occur because it will have a negative impact on it.

In the context of the discussion, it is worth noting the importance and danger of the station for Europe and the reason for its fear. In terms of its importance, Zaporizhia is of great strategic value, as it is the largest hydroelectric power station in Europe. In terms of contents, the Zaporizhia nuclear station contains six pressurized water reactors and many radioactive nuclear waste storage facilities.

As for its danger, if the reactors are hit by a missile, the subsequent radiation leak will have consequences for Europe, the Crimean Peninsula, and of course the whole of Ukraine.

In general, the situation has worsened and European allegations have increased the possibility of a nuclear disaster occurring if it is targeted, used militarily, or sheltered. They also cite their fears of using it for military purposes, not civilian purposes.

Perhaps the warnings or the fabricated and exaggerated fears that are intended to embarrass Russia and draw international support in favor of Ukraine and an actual movement away from false slogans, Ukraine has asked the international community to “close the airspace” over the Zaporizhzhia station, and to provide air defenses capable of preventing any direct strikes on the facility, but it seems unlikely that a no-fly zone will be imposed over the facility, because the countries supporting Ukraine fear that Russia will interpret such a step as direct participation in the conflict.

It remains to be noted that the loss of the station for Ukraine deprived it of many invaluable benefits. It increased the Ukrainian need for nuclear energy, which became increasingly important for Ukraine’s energy supply. In 2014, separatist groups took control. Before that, coal provided 41 percent of the country’s energy, and Ukraine looked to nuclear and renewable energy to make up the shortfall.