The Russians put generating unit 4 of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in the hot shutdown mode on the order of the illegitimate management on 24 July, Ukraine's atomic energy operator Energoatom has reported.
The hot shutdown is a gross violation of nuclear licence requirements. Currently, ZNPP unit 4 should be operated exclusively in the cold shutdown mode.
"After Russia blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam on 6 June this year and the actual disappearance of the Kakhovka reservoir, there are real risks of insufficient cooling water supply to the Zaporizhzhya NPP. This blocks the possibility of ZNPP operating at full capacity, and the Russian occupying administration of the plant and representatives of Rosatom are aware of this. This means that it is an undoubted risk to nuclear and radiation safety due to the long downtime of the power unit's equipment, the lack of proper routine maintenance and repair of equipment," Energoatom said.
Energoatom President Dmytro Kotin complained to the prosecutor-general about the signs of criminal offences under Article 267 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the rules for handling explosives, flammable and caustic substances or radioactive materials) and Article 274 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of nuclear or radiation safety rules), as well as Article 14 (preparation for a crime) and Article 258 (terrorist act).
"The occupiers continue to commit criminal acts. They are once again violating the requirements of the operating licence issued by the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) to put all the units of the plant into cold shutdown, as well as the requirements of the IAEA. This is a deliberate and intentional violation of Ukrainian and international law. The Russian invaders will face inevitable punishment," Kotin said.
He stressed that the use of ZNPP as a military base and the transfer of the reactor into the hot shutdown mode is a violation of all nuclear and radiation safety standards.
Kotin also asked the Foreign Ministry to call on the IAEA to take measures to persuade the occupying administration of ZNPP to put all the plant's power units into the cold shutdown mode and to inform the Agency's member states accordingly.
As of this morning, the water level in the cooling pond is normal.