Russia’s Seizure of Chernobyl a Nuclear Nightmare

Russia's Seizure of Chernobyl a Nuclear Nightmare

( – In 1986, the communist Soviet Union and the United States were entrenched in a financially expensive Cold War. During the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan rebuilt the US military to deter and confront the Soviets if necessary. On December 26, 1991, the Soviet Union fell once and for all.

In the middle of Reagan’s second term, the world witnessed one of the most horrific nuclear disasters in history. On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine experienced a massive failure after a flawed atomic reactor melted down. A steam explosion followed by fire contributed to the radioactive reactor core releasing 5% of its radioactive materials into the environment. Now, it appears that Russia could again cause a calamity due to another incompetency.

Russia’s Occupation of Nuclear Plant a First in Any War Strategy

On February 24, the Russian military seized the Chernobyl nuclear power plant facilities. According to the World Nuclear Association, gamma radiation levels inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone exceeded acceptable levels. Scientists say the initial increase was likely due to soldiers disturbing the topsoil while moving around the site with heavy military equipment.

Rebecca Harms is the previous president of the Greens group in the European Parliament. Newsmax quoted her as saying it’s the first time ever that a country used a nuclear plant as part of a wartime strategy. She said the occupation of the plant by Russian forces was a nightmare scenario and that a military force could use every nuclear plant as a pre-installed nuclear bomb.

After the Russians left on March 31, an assessment found that Russia risked a crisis worse than that original catastrophe 36 years earlier. Despite the broader potential, concerns mounted about the irresponsible behavior of the Russian military, which created underground bunkers in radioactively contaminated soil. Ukraine only uses pictures to access the area for safety purposes, as walking on the ground is heavily discouraged.

Still, some experts expressed dismay and said they were deeply concerned about young soldiers exposed to nuclear radiation. It’s possible that the Russian military withheld information about the danger to hundreds of thousands of soldiers who could experience declining health.

Protective Measures Underway

International authorities are working with Ukraine to prevent military forces from harming the damaged nuclear facility. They are installing drone systems, anti-tank barriers, and measures against military aircraft.

At the moment, Ukraine can’t monitor the danger to nearby communities. Russian soldiers apparently took the primary server for the system and disconnected it.

Concerns don’t just exist for Chernobyl. In southeastern Ukraine, the Zaporizhzhia is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. It, too, is under Russian control. If the Russians were so cavalier about Chernobyl, what are they doing in Zaporizhzhia?

Stay tuned.

Copyright 2022,