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Residents near the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant prepare for the worst

2023-07-04 15:15:17, Kosova & Bota CNA

Ukrainians near the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, are bracing for a possible meltdown after warnings of a Russian attack on the facility. Voice of America Warsaw reporter Lesia Bakalets has been in contact with residents inside Ukraine.

The city of Nikopol is about 20 kilometers across the river from the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. The city has about 50,000 inhabitants left since the beginning of the war. They are used to living near a possible nuclear threat.

"Immediately after Russia seized the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, information campaigns were conducted by our local authorities about the possible consequences of such an accident. Even then, you could get iodine pills in Nikopol hospitals to protect yourself from the effects of radiation exposure," says Mykyta Sajenko, a journalist in Nikopol.

He says that the locals have been calm. But after warnings from Ukraine's intelligence chief, who recently said the Russians had approved plans to undermine the plant and provoke a meltdown, they are bracing for a possible evacuation.

"My family is gathering all the necessary things - documents, money and essentials - to leave in case of an emergency."

Scientists monitoring the situation for a possible disaster say the towns of Nikopol and Enerhodar - near the plant - are at the greatest risk of radioactive contamination.

"The evacuation zone will not go beyond a radius of 30 kilometers, maybe 20, maybe even 10," says Mark Zheleznyak at Fukushima University.

But Ukrainian authorities expect it to be bigger.

"We have assumed the worst case scenario: the contamination zone will be greater than 50 kilometers. This means that four regions will be affected" , says Yuri Vlasenko, Deputy Minister of Energy.

This would include Zaporizhia, with almost 800 thousand citizens, 50 kilometers from the station.

Victor Gokun, a resident of Zaporizhia, who works in the pharmaceutical industry, says that there are no more iodine pills in the pharmacy. They help protect the thyroid gland in case of exposure to radiation.

“The pills disappeared from the beginning when this station was invaded. Then people tried to buy as much as possible."

Victor has two children and is already prepared for disaster.

"We have a month's supply of water and food. Our cars are always filled with a full tank".

On June 29, Ukraine conducted nuclear disaster response drills in the surrounding regions.

In addition to the direct danger to locals, experts warn that a meltdown would pose a threat to agriculture and Ukraine's main river, the Dnipro.

"Radioactive material can contaminate agricultural land and can also increase the perception that crops are unsafe," says Edwin Lyman with the Union of Concerned Scientists.

"It could happen that the banks of the Dnipro River become contaminated, with radionuclide content on the way to the Black Sea, and its entire coast would be contaminated ," says Olena Pareniuk, a nuclear safety researcher.

The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe and has been occupied by Russia since last March./ VOA