Firefighting at ChNPP suspended after Russian attack
17 February 2025 11:01
Today, February 17, work on extinguishing the fire that arose as a result of a Russian attack was suspended at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. This was reported by the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management on Facebook, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
“As of 07:00, firefighting operations have been suspended, but this does not mean they have been completed,” the statement said.
No open centers of smoldering of the membrane have been detected, but experts continue to monitor the situation using drones with thermal imagers.
The following personnel were engaged to eliminate the consequences:
- 6 rescuers and 2 units of SES equipment.
The air temperature in the exclusion zone is -15 °C.
The radiation situation in Ukraine is stable
Experts note that no deterioration in the radiation situation has been recorded so far. The radiation background at the industrial site of the Shelter Object (NSC-OA) and throughout the ChNPP is within normal limits.
No release of radioactive products beyond the established limits was detected. Ukrainians can check the level of radiation background in real time on the official portal of the Ministry of Environment “EcoThreat”: Check radiation level
As a reminder, the sarcophagus built over the exploded fourth power unit was gradually collapsing, which could have led to a catastrophe. In March 2004, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development announced a tender for the design, construction and commissioning of a new sarcophagus for the Chornobyl NPP.
The main function of the new arch is to limit the spread of radioactive substances contained in the Shelter. This condition must be met both in normal operation and in the event of an accident (destruction) of the existing Shelter. The project envisages that the new structure will be operated for 100 years.
The new sarcophagus at the Chornobyl NPP was built by about 3,000 workers starting in April 2012. The builders worked in shifts to avoid exceeding the permissible radiation dose. Almost three billion dollars were allocated for its construction by the European Union and the United States. The new sarcophagus was put into operation in July 2019.
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