Sandbags stacked on roofs: London: Russians are preparing for battles over nuclear power plants

Thursday April 27, 2023

Sandbags stacked on roofs London: Russians prepare for battles over nuclear power plant

Should the Ukrainian armed forces launch an offensive, they could be at the gates of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant fairly quickly. The Russians have been occupying it for over a year – and are probably preparing for such a scenario on site.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been warning of a nuclear catastrophe at Ukraine’s Zaporizhia nuclear power plant for months. Because of fighting in the vicinity has been repeatedly the emergency power line cut, diesel generators had to step into maintain cooling and prevent worse. Russian forces have been occupying Europe’s largest nuclear power plant since March 2022. Apparently, they reckon that clashes in the area could soon increase.

According to British intelligence, pictures show March, how Kremlin troops erected sandbag defenses on top of several reactor buildings. The recordings are said to be the first indication “that the actual reactor buildings are being included in tactical defense planning”. The occupiers would probably have built these positions because of increasing concerns about a major Ukrainian offensive.

Russian rooftop defense positions could increase the likelihood of damage to security systems should Ukrainians try to liberate the nuclear power plant. However, according to London, “catastrophic damage to the reactors” is unlikely in “most plausible infantry weapon scenarios” because of the reinforced structures.

Already last October 600 elite Ukrainian forces are said to have triedto retake the facility. According to a report by The Times, Ukrainian troops crossed the Dnipro in 30 boats to advance to the nuclear power plant. However, the offensive failed because of the heavy shelling by the Russians.

“Clear signs of military preparations”

The International Atomic Energy Agency has been pushing for the establishment of a security zone for months around the nuclear power plant to ward off the danger of a nuclear accident. IAEA experts also claim to have observed Russian preparations for hostilities on site. Director Rafael Mariano Grossi announced recently: “When I visited the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant just over three weeks ago, I saw clear signs of military preparations in the area. Since then, our on-site experts have frequently reported hearing detonations, sometimes indicating intense shelling not far from the power plant. I I am deeply concerned about the situation at the power plant.”

Adding to the risks from the fighting, according to the IAEA, the plant continues to rely on the only surviving power line to receive the external power needed to cool the reactors and other vital functions. Before the conflict, the nuclear power plant had four external power lines.

Source: ntv.de
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