Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen correspondent: The US vetoed a UNSC resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, arguing it does not condemn Hamas nor grant "Israel" the right to “self-defense.”
Israeli occupation forces issue a new bombing threat against civilian buildings in the Southern Lebanese towns of Borj Qalaouiye and Chehabiyeh.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Extending the snapback mechanism deadline will test how independent Europeans truly are from the US.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Activating the snapback mechanism will nullify the Cairo Agreement, shut the door on cooperation between the IAEA and Tehran, and bar inspections.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: The diplomatic window remains open, but signs of activating the snapback sanctions mechanism on Iran are increasing.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Although the Cairo Agreement meets an important part of European demands, they have begun speaking of new conditions in recent communications.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: European countries show no independence in their stance toward Iran during the talks.
Israeli occupation forces issued bombing threats to bomb civilian buildings in Southern Lebanon.
Israeli media: Person behind shooting operation at Allenby Crossing is a Jordanian Army soldier.
Israeli media citing Emergency Services: Both wounded in Allenby shooting operation now dead.

Russia warns of nuclear disaster if ZNPP shelling continues

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 21 Nov 2022 23:16
4 Min Read

In light of the recent shelling that hit the Zaparozhye nuclear power plant, Moscow warns that a nuclear disaster could be imminent.

  • x
  • Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is seen from around twenty kilometers away in an area in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022 (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)
    Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is seen from around twenty kilometers away in an area in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022 (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)

Further Ukrainian shelling of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) may lead to a real nuclear disaster, an adviser to the head of Rosenergoatom, a subsidiary of Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, said Monday.

"A nuclear disaster could take place. A nuclear reactor is working, its power supply stops because of the shelling... How could a reactor be cooled down? Not cooling it down could lead to the reactor's overheating, and then it could result in a disaster," Renat Karchaa, an advisor to Rosenergoatom's CEO, told Russian broadcaster Channel One.

On Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian troops subjected the Zaporozhye NPP to massive artillery shelling, damaging strategic facilities by conducting strikes with 155-caliber NATO ammunition in the first mass shelling since late September.

A team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) examined the damage and, while confirming its "widespread" scale, said that they had found no immediate nuclear safety threats. However, IAEA head Rafael Grossi said he had "intensified consultations" on the creation of a protection zone around the plant.

Widespread damage in ZNPP

IAEA experts found widespread damage done to the territory of the ZNPP, the agency announced on Monday in a statement after four IAEA nuclear safety, security, and safeguards experts visited the ZNPP.

The four-man team carried out the visit to the ZNPP after heavy shelling hit the facility over the weekend, the UN nuclear watchdog announced, noting that the personnel at the ZNPP have already started repair works.

"The status of the six reactor units is stable, and the integrity of the spent fuel, the fresh fuel, and the low, medium, and high-level radioactive waste in their respective storage facilities was confirmed," the statement added.

Related News

Lugansk '100% liberated', under Russia's full control: Pasechnik

Izvestia journalist Alexander Fedortchak killed by Ukrainian shelling

Additionally, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi announced that "An expert team of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today assessed the extent of damage caused by intense shelling over the weekend at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP)."

"They were able to confirm that – despite the severity of the shelling – key equipment remained intact and there were no immediate nuclear safety or security concerns," Grossi added.

Ukrainian troops have shelled the ZNPP with massive artillery shelling, damaging strategic facilities, according to an advisor to the head of Rosenergoatom, which is a subsidiary of Rosatom, a Russian nuclear energy company.

"The Ukrainian military launched a massive strike directly at the station. Twelve rockets were fired. It is known that six of them hit the cooling system of reactors, two — hit the dry cask storage [of radioactive waste]. The consequences of the shelling cannot be determined yet since the risk of repeated attacks remains," the advisor said.

Earlier this month, Zaparozhye region official Vladimir Rogov revealed that Polish mercenaries and members of the Ukrainian nationalist Kraken Regiment are fighting alongside Ukraine on the Zaporozhye front.

In October, Ukrainian authorities began planning for another offensive on Zaporozhye, "for the near future": "In addition to amassing troops to the front line, videos are now being widely filmed for the Western consumers with stories about what the Zaporozhye region is, how and why it should be 'liberated.' This is clearly being done in order to solicit for even more weapons for criminal intentions," Rogov said.

"These are the Nazis who were brought here from Kharkov," he indicated.

Kiev authorities may decide to incite or escalate hostilities in the next two or three weeks, as per the official.

It is worth noting that Russia signed four unification treaties with the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics alongside the Kherson and the Zaporozhye Regions in October.

The DPR and LPR split from Ukraine in 2014 and shortly after launching a military operation in February this year, Russia seized Kherson Region and a larger part of Zaporozhye Region. The new laws, as per the State Duma, dictate that the DPR and LPR will maintain their status as republics, while Zaporozhye and Kherson will continue to be addressed as "regions". Russian will be considered the official language of all the recently accessioned constituents.

In February 2022, the Donbass republics were recognized as independent states by the Kremlin after requesting that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country to not join any Western military bloc.

  • Lugansk
  • Russia
  • Zaparozhye
  • Kherson
  • Donetsk
  • Ukraine
  • ZNPP
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

Why is Choose Love using a firm with British and US intelligence connections to run a pro-Palestine musical event? (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Together for Palestine: Troubling questions about the organisers of this huge event

  • Opinion
  • 17 Sep 2025
Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza.

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza

  • Politics
  • 12 Sep 2025
A screengrab from the ad played on Fox News. (X Screengrab)

Fox airs ad warning Trump not to let Netanyahu 'play' him on Gaza

  • US & Canada
  • 11 Sep 2025
Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

  • Palestine
  • 14 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A Hezbollah supporter who lost his sight in a pager attack carried out by "Israel" on Sept. 17, 2024, covers his eyes with a red headband inscribed with the name "Hussein" during Ashoura, July 6, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'We Have Recovered': Lebanon marks 1st anniversary of Pager Attack

The Arab neighborhood of El Za'im, on the outskirts of east Occupied Al-Quds in the West Bank, near where Israeli government says housing units will be built as part of the E1 settlement project, Thursday, August 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Palestine

'Israel’s' deliberate policies drive West Bank economy toward collapse

Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Politics

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder resigns over parent company curbing activism

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll
US & Canada

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS