Ukraine sees risk of radiation leak at Chornobyl, IAEA sees 'no critical impact' on safety
CTV
Ukraine said on Wednesday there was a danger of a radiation leak at the Chornobyl nuclear power station after electricity was cut off to the plant, but the UN nuclear watchdog saw 'no critical impact on security.'
State-run nuclear company Energoatom said a high-voltage power line had been damaged during fighting between Ukrainian troops and Russian forces who are occupying the defunct plant, and that it had been cut off from the national power grid.
It said "radioactive substances" could eventually be released, threatening other parts of Ukraine and Europe, if there was no power to cool spent nuclear fuel stored at the plant that suffered the world's worst nuclear accident in 1986.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said reserve diesel generators could power the plant for only 48 hours.
"After that, cooling systems of the storage facility for spent nuclear fuel will stop, making radiation leaks imminent," he said on Twitter. "I call on the international community to urgently demand Russia to cease fire and allow repair units to restore power supply."
