Europe’s Nuclear Nightmare Isn’t Even Close to Over as an Undetonated Rocket Sits in Kharkiv Nuclear Facility
Russian forces did not just loot and destroy a laboratory used to monitor nuclear waste at Chernobylbut an inactivated missile is now ready to explode at any time in a nuclear facility in Kharkiv, Ukrainian regulators said on Wednesday.
State management inspector of the country’s nuclear speak Neutron Source subcritical nuclear facility inspectors on Wednesday found an “object, preliminarily identified as an unexploded MLRS 9K58 Smerch shell,” which they warned would pose a “danger.” potential for a new explosion in the vicinity of a nuclear installation.”
While no damage was reported to parts of the facility that would immediately impact safety, managers said it was not possible to disarm the missile because of “constant battles in the area.” .
The management agency said that the facility was repeatedly attacked by Russian forces, and that it was shelled even after the inspection ended.
“Please note that [nuclear facility], like any other nuclear installation, was not designed to operate in combat conditions. The agency warned that continued bombing or shelling could lead to serious radiation consequences with contamination of neighboring territories.
If conditions at Chernobyl whatever happens, however, Russian forces are unlikely to heed the regulator’s warnings.
Just a day before the discovery of the Smerch missile, regulators said the Russian military’s seizure of the power plant – the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986 – had plunged it into disarray. chaos, with radioactive screens in the contaminated area around the plant gone. is working and an important laboratory is destroyed.
Perhaps more alarmingly, however, Ukrainian authorities said the looted lab contained “highly active samples and radionuclide samples that are currently in enemy hands.”
