Russian troops open fire on Zaporizhzhia NPP, rockets hit close to spent fuel dry storage casks

The relevant statement was made by Energoatom National Nuclear Energy Generating Company of Ukraine on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“In the evening of August 6, 2022, Russian occupiers again fired rockets at the site of Zaporizhzhia NPP and the city of Enerhodar. They hit close to Zaporizhzhia NPP’s spent fuel dry storage casks. Apparently, they were aiming at the spent fuel casks, which are kept in the open air near the impact area. 174 casks, and each of them contains 24 spent fuel assemblies,” the report states.

According to Energoatom, Russian projectiles damaged three radiation monitoring sensors around Zaporizhzhia NPP’s spent fuel dry storage casks. Hence, in the event of the deterioration of the radiation situation or leakage from spent fuel storage casks, it is now impossible to timely detect and respond to the issue.

In addition, numerous small projectile fragments caused damage to about 800 square meters of window surfaces in different buildings within Zaporizhzhia NPP.

One of the plant’s employees received a shrapnel wound and was taken to hospital.

“All the Russian military – 500 persons who had been remaining at Zaporizhzhia NPP since it was seized, – and terrorist Rosatom’s personnel timely hid in the bunkers of the plant’s crisis center and technical support center,” Energoatom stressed.

According to Energoatom, Russian troops also opened fire near a construction structures factory and water intake in the city of Enerhodar.

“This time a nuclear disaster has been miraculously avoided,” Energoatom added.

Energoatom insists it is necessary to immediately withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine’s civilian nuclear facility, Zaporizhzhia NPP, and establish a demilitarized zone around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.

Photo: Energoatom

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