According to “Ukrhydroenergo,” the water level in the Kakhovka Reservoir dropped to 12.5 meters in the evening of June 8, which is below the required level for water intake.
Mark Zheleznyak, an environmental risk assessment expert and professor at Fukushima University, predicts potential threats in an interview with Voice of America.
According to Zheleznyak, currently, six units of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are not operational: five units are completely shut down and in a cold state, while only one unit is in a hot state.
The cooling system is designed to operate for all six units. It includes cooling towers for water cooling by atmospheric air and a cooling reservoir.
The inability to take water for the cooling reservoir will lead to ongoing risks for the plant. However, the cooling towers should be sufficient to cool down one hot unit.
The sabotage of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station by the Russians poses additional risks to the nuclear power plant, but the expert believes that the current situation is not critical and asks not to spread panic.
