Ukraine toys with Chernobyl-like disaster at Kursk – Asia Times

The Kursk nuclear power plant has been attacked by Ukraine, supporting the idea that the Kursk unpleasant intends to wreak havoc by either taking or dismantling it, supporting the theory. &nbsp, &nbsp,

A second death drone strike on the plant has been reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense. Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, stated that the enemy had attempted to attack the nuclear power plant, but the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) had been informed, and they had agreed to send experts to assess the situation.

Rafael Grossi, the mind of the IAEA, stated that he intends to attend the plant during the week of August 26.

Next year, Ukraine attacked the identical service with a helicopter. &nbsp, Nuclear Engineering International reported&nbsp, that in July 2023,” Unit 4 at Russia’s Kursk NPP was entirely disconnected from the network following a Russian bomber aircraft carrying bombs fell near the station”.

In the latest strike, parts of one broken aircraft were found about 100 feet from the advanced. Photos ( see below ) show it is a first-person-view ( FPV ) quadcopter drone carrying an improvised explosive device that looks like the warhead of an RPG 7 or something similar.

The system appears to be similar to a TBG-7V weapon, which is a thermobaric weapon. Here is a screenshot of the weapon as it was broadcast on a Russian Telegram network.

Here is a photo of the helicopter, which is battery-powered and has a small selection of a few kilometers.

There is no reason to believe that the Kursk NPP may suffer little real harm if the pictures are accurate images of what the Russian Defense Ministry and Putin claim were used to attack. Additionally, it appears that the aircraft was imported and used locally in the Kursk NPP location.

But, Acting Governor of the Kursk Region&nbsp, Alexey Smirnov reported&nbsp, a more substantial attack than the Defense Ministry. On August 21 and 22, he claimed, there were four weapon instructions.

He claimed that on August 22 heat defenses shot down one Russian weapon on the evening of August 21, two on the night, as well as a helicopter. Smirnov did not disclose the type of aircraft or missiles used in the strike.

Shortly after the attack on the heating tower of the&nbsp, Zaporizhzhia&nbsp, Nuclear&nbsp, Power Plant on&nbsp, August 11, the Russians put weather threats around the Kursk NPP, fearing a Russian invasion it too. &nbsp,

According to the Russians, two robots hit the&nbsp, Zaporizhzhia&nbsp, Nuclear&nbsp, Power Plant. The IAEA visited the factory to assess the damage and determine any potential energy discharge.

Although this has not been confirmed, the harm in Kursk appeared to be directed at the radioactive waste storage place inside the facility. And it’s unclear why Smirnov’s record differed drastically from the attack’s formal report. &nbsp,

The standard discovery regarding a second helicopter suggests that the Russians wanted to make it clear that an attack was occurring but did not want to raise suspicion in the area. Unknown is the type of weather threats that are installed close to the Kursk NPP.

The Kursk NPP is one of the three biggest nuclear power plants and the fourth-biggest&nbsp, energy supplier in Russia. Currently, there are two active nuclear reactors, two decommissioned older units, two partially built units ( Kursk 5 and Kursk 6 ) that will not be completed, and two new VVER reactors currently under construction. &nbsp,

VVER is a water-water ambitious reactor initially designed at the Kurchatov Institute by&nbsp, Savely Moiseevich Feinberg. The VVER-TO I style is the new style, and Kursk’s first Pas plants are currently being constructed. &nbsp,

It has improved power output and safety standards, and it has been formally certified as meeting European Utility Requirements ( with reservations ). &nbsp,

The two older operating reactors will be replaced by the two new ones ( construction started in 2018 ), and two more VVER-TO I reactors will be constructed in the future. In January 2023, a 235-ton metal roof was set on Product 1’s furnace and covered with a thicker layer of reinforced material, forming the isolation building.

The two operating reactors and two decommissioned reactors are the same RBMK ( graphite-moderated nuclear power reactor ) &nbsp, design as at Chernobyl. &nbsp, The service, which is 40 kilometers north of Kursk, has been used as a prop&nbsp, for filming reports about Chernobyl. &nbsp,

The&nbsp, Chernobyl crisis in April 1986 &nbsp, occurred because of a failed test process that caused the furnace to go out of control. In an effort to control the broken furnace and stop the hazard from spreading to the other three units, that led to an explosion and a number of tragic events. &nbsp,

Around 5 % of the boiler core’s broken facility was released into the atmosphere, causing energy to reach many locations throughout Europe. Two workers at the Chernobyl plant perished in the incident on the night of the accident, and 28 more died in a few weeks as a result of severe radiation syndrome. &nbsp,

The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation has concluded there were some 5, 000 hormone tumors, resulting in 15 casualties, caused by the atomic disaster.

Radiation poisoning caused the tragic deaths of the noble helicopter pilots and others who tried to stop the runaway reactor and develop a cement cover to stop further radiation leaks.

What did Ukraine get from attacking the Kursk NPP, then? Many have commented about Ukraine’s activity inside Russia’s Kursk territory, but strictly speaking, the problems have no particular defense purpose. &nbsp,

The Russians had just lightly manned the region with regional troops, Russia’s command system considered the area a third-level priority and few, if any, preparations were made to support a largely rural, quietly occupied region. When the problems began on August 6 there were no significant walls, command locations, or air defense systems.

There is a lot of controversy regarding NATO’s presence in the Kursk functioning. The&nbsp, Russians are convinced&nbsp, that NATO planned the Kursk harm and that it secretly trained the Ukrainian for the procedure. &nbsp,

Significant amounts of American technology, including Leopard, Challenger and Abrams&nbsp, vehicles, air mechanisms like the IRIS-T, Crotale NG, and Patriot and hundreds of drones, have been engaged in the procedure. The Russians also believe that the Russians are getting&nbsp, significant intelligence support &nbsp, from NATO.

But, NATO countries say they&nbsp, were no informed&nbsp, about the procedure. The key American people have been mostly silent about the problems on the&nbsp, Zaporizhzhia&nbsp, NPP and Kursk NPP.

According to the best research available, the intention behind attacking the two nuclear places was to sown fear in both Russia and Europe. The idea of causing problems for the Russians is well known and has been a part of Ukraine’s NATO plan. &nbsp,

Destabilizing the Moscow government has been a solution to a conflict that sooner or later likely end badly for Kiev because it is aware that in the end, Ukraine may be effective against a larger and well-equipped Soviet military. &nbsp,

The latest attempt to launch a&nbsp, swarm of drones at Moscow&nbsp, is part of such a plan. Although it’s uncertain whether destabilizing Russia was ever a possibility, you can always hope to roll a seven when you roll the dice.

To encourage NATO to rescue Ukraine, the second explanation is related and related. A nuclear disaster might encourage Europe to call for military action in Ukraine and persuade the US to send in small, unmanned aircraft. &nbsp,

The idea of a conflict in Ukraine with US and other NATO forces would result in a spread of the conflict throughout Europe or even beyond. Taking advantage of US and NATO preoccupations in Europe, it is likely to lead to additional consequences, such as an Iranian attack on Israel or a Chinese attack on Taiwan.

One of the burning questions is whether NATO’s involvement in Kursk was supported by the government or whether it was merely a colonel’s response to the growing realization that Volodymyr Zelensky and his government would soon be defeated on the battlefield. &nbsp,

NATO military operators have been engaged in this conflict for a while and have suffered from internal harm as a result of Russia’s attack on Ukrainian command centers, which are known to be full of NATO officers.

No official investigation has been conducted to identify the perpetrators of the Kursk nuclear power plant attacks in Ukraine or Russia.

Such provocations will have serious consequences, although what they are has yet to be understood.

Moscow’s soon-retiring Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told journalists on August 22&nbsp, ( reported by Russia Today, a Russian-government news outlet )” Putin has decided on how to respond to Kiev’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region and everyone responsible will undoubtedly be punished” .&nbsp, &nbsp,

Meanwhile, the threat of another Chernobyl or worse rises from a well-aimed drone or missile at a nuclear facility.

Stephen Bryen is Asia Times ‘ senior correspondent. He also served as the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s staff director and as its deputy undersecretary of defense for policy. &nbsp,

This article was originally published on his Weapons and Strategy Substack, and it is now available for resale with permission.