Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 #3

[Herat]

According to Andrey Tuz, spokesman of the press service of the nuclear power plant, there is no threat of radiation spread.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1499555095817728023?s=20&t=n99_-laqQ9yvOCx7cvPrMg

I REALLY want to believe him, but....

 

[Dontknow?]

IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency
@iaeaorg
·
1m

#Ukraine regulator tells IAEA there has been no change reported in #radiation levels at the #Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant site.

edited

 

[whitelilac]

The Guardian’s Julian Borger has spoken to Mariana Budjeryn, an Ukrainian expert at the project on managing the atom at Harvard University’s Belfer Center.

Budjeryn said:
Saying that a reactor building is hit doesn’t tell us much, because the most vulnerable [part of] this is the electricity and water supply.

If the electricity is taken out, the back up generators kick in, but if those don’t kick in or their diesel fuel is set on fire, for example, the pumps can’t pump cold water into the reactor and into the spent fuel pools. That’s necessary to keep the nuclear reaction moderated. Otherwise the water will boil out and the core will go critical and explode.

If the core explodes, there’s hope that the confinement chamber will capture the radiation from release into the environment. Confinement chambers are designed with withstand some level of impact even bombing.

But of course we don’t know how they will stand to this intensity of shelling

BUT spent fuel pools - the fuel there is not as active, but they are usually overstuffed - so less active but more tightly packed material, also dangerous for going critical if the cooling system fails. And spent fuel pools are not covered by hardened concrete confinement chambers.

We learned about how vulnerable spent fuel pools are during Fukushima

The backup generators failed and the water pumping system failed - it was lucky that ocean water flooded those and the reactor cores to provide cooling.”

Russia-Ukraine war latest news: foreign minister urges ceasefire after shelling starts fire at nuclear power plant – live

 

[Herat]

The USAF Stratotanker from Ramstein AFB in Germany is still in the air over eastern Romania making the circuit, I think they are the closest Allied aircraft to this incident.

LAGR230 is heading back from Romania to Ramstein AFB now.

 

[Herat]

The Guardian’s Julian Borger has spoken to Mariana Budjeryn, an Ukrainian expert at the project on managing the atom at Harvard University’s Belfer Center.

Budjeryn said:
Saying that a reactor building is hit doesn’t tell us much, because the most vulnerable [part of] this is the electricity and water supply.

If the electricity is taken out, the back up generators kick in, but if those don’t kick in or their diesel fuel is set on fire, for example, the pumps can’t pump cold water into the reactor and into the spent fuel pools. That’s necessary to keep the nuclear reaction moderated. Otherwise the water will boil out and the core will go critical and explode.

If the core explodes, there’s hope that the confinement chamber will capture the radiation from release into the environment. Confinement chambers are designed with withstand some level of impact even bombing.

But of course we don’t know how they will stand to this intensity of shelling

BUT spent fuel pools - the fuel there is not as active, but they are usually overstuffed - so less active but more tightly packed material, also dangerous for going critical if the cooling system fails. And spent fuel pools are not covered by hardened concrete confinement chambers.

We learned about how vulnerable spent fuel pools are during Fukushima

The backup generators failed and the water pumping system failed - it was lucky that ocean water flooded those and the reactor cores to provide cooling.”

And we learned about water pumps being improperly turned off at Three Mile Island in the US.

 

[Lillymac]

Putin screen grabs from 2019 and now. I noticed the irony in the 2019 one. Anyway, you can compare 2.5 years difference.

Sources:

Putin on Greta: 'I don't share the enthusiasm'

Ukraine conflict: Who's in Putin's inner circle and running the war?

The 2018 picture appears to be a picture of a fit man tanned and in good shape. 2019 he appears much heavier and very pale. Could be from following covid protocol and being in quarantine and not out much. I don't know if he drinks or not, but he doesn't look very healthy. Nothing I don't think some sunshine and exercise wouldn't fix.

I just think sick, crazy or whatever, he's just an evil person.

 

[Gemmie]

I have no words, only tears. Where is the crying emoji?

 

[Herat]

It takes about 10 hours for a controlled shutdown of a reactor.

And, of course, that would deprive Ukraine of electrical power

Not sure how much this impacts Ukraine but this is clearly a strategic hit and even if Putin only wanted to scare the Ukrainians by hitting the administrative building, they may have to at least reduce some of the functional capacity for electricity to be sure.

Dastardly.

 

[Tiff23fr]

Important information from Zaporizhzhia NPP:

At the moment, the third power unit was shut down at the plant and only the fourth unit is working;
The radiation and fire safety conditions at the nuclear power plant are within normal limits.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1499559971289190401?s=20&t=sW7f7J0RM89cQde_N2KXaw

 

[Snoopster]

I think there would be chatter on Flightradar24 about it if a recommissioned Avro Vulcan showed up under a USA badge, and I haven't seen anything like it.

There is a UK fighter plane that has a triangle icon on FR24. I can't remember the exact model but on the screen it looks triangular, like you'd expect a Vulcan to be, but it is not a true stealth-type design. I recall today that it was one of the guard planes for the RAF surveillance plane operating in eastern Romania.

Right now they are probably all tucked into bed in their base in Cyprus.

My apologies because I definitely don't know my aircraft and I don't know if there was a Vulcan, but I definitely saw a RQ-4 Global Hawk. (a surveillance drone)

 

[Herat]

My apologies because I definitely don't know my aircraft and I don't know if there was a Vulcan, but I definitely saw a RQ-4 Global Hawk. (a surveillance drone)

Yup. That guy has been working very faithfully

Next time I see the triangle plane I'll make sure to get the details on it.

 

[Snoopster]

I find it much easier to relate to a situation if I can relate to people involved. (basic human nature)

I am a tennis fan and my heart lurched when I heard that Sergiy Stakhovsky, who just retired from pro tennis at the Australian Open a month ago, announced that he was leaving his wife and young child to head back to Ukraine to fight.

Here is his latest update:

https://twitter.com/GMB/status/1498927291077955592?s=20&t=3LW8TfEusQNZkUg5OGpIaA

I live such a privileged and safe life.
(For now at least. Never take anything for granted.)

 

[LadyL]

New Jersey city votes to halt licenses of gas stations tied to Russia's Lukoil

 

[Herat]

NATO flight UAVGH000 Northrup- Grumman surveillance plane is up at 54,000 feet over southern Poland

 

[worldwatcher]

According Dutch media that published it about a hour ago:

"Russian troops have been trying to capture the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in recent days."


"According to the Ukrainian state emergency service, the fire broke out in a training building outside the perimeter of the nuclear power plant."

"However, local authorities report that the situation is "under control".

SBM

Brand in grootste kerncentrale van Europa door aanval Russische troepen | NU - Het laatste nieuws het eerst op NU.nl

I am freaking out here!!

 

[Herat]

According Dutch media that published it about a hour ago:

"Russian troops have been trying to capture the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in recent days."


"According to the Ukrainian state emergency service, the fire broke out in a training building outside the perimeter of the nuclear power plant."

"However, local authorities report that the situation is "under control".

SBM

Brand in grootste kerncentrale van Europa door aanval Russische troepen | NU - Het laatste nieuws het eerst op NU.nl

I am freaking out here!!

I have to think this is deliberately being both provocative to NATO and an attempt to shut down electricity to a significant part of the country,

Let's be very clear. Ukraine has NOT attacked Belarus or Russia. There is the worlds's worst person tiptoeing up to inciting a nuclear war.

I'm beginning to agree with Macron about establishing an EU Military.

 

[whitelilac]

11m ago02:29

Authorities at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant say the facility is secured and “nuclear safety is now guaranteed” after Russian military shelling starts fire, Agence France-Presse reports.
Russia-Ukraine war latest news: foreign minister urges ceasefire after shelling starts fire at nuclear power plant – live
(guaranteed?)

 

[worldwatcher]

I have to think this is deliberately being both provocative to NATO and an attempt to shut down electricity to a significant part of the country,

Let's be very clear. Ukraine has NOT attacked Belarus or Russia. There is the worlds's worst person tiptoeing up to inciting a nuclear war.

I'm beginning to agree with Macron about establishing an EU Military.

Live updates: Russia invades Ukraine and Vladimir Putin news
Guess, it is already to late, if you read CNN.
Ukraine warned days ago that the Russians moved towards EU biggest power plant. It says Ukraine has 4 of them.

 

[Herat]

Interesting,

UK RAF TAC01 Boeing Globemaster is up over Israel, heading northwest in the direction of Cyprus. It's a long=haul heavy transport plane.

Can't really tell where it originated from. It's flight path is too far south to have originated in Amman Jordan.

Hmm. Just has an odd heading but no turn

The big UK RAF Hercules RRR 5982 is up out of Cyprus.
RRR5982
Royal Air Force

Finnish Air Force plane up and flying south towards Helsinki

 

[Lexiintoronto]

President Zelensky:
https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1499574413095751683?s=20&t=pGslv4RdeRYWfVfdxNRiPQ

He is saying this is ‘urgent!’ It is the first time in history that a nuclear plant has been targeted. An explosion would mean the ‘end’ of Europe.

Translation:


https://twitter.com/DavidBegnaud/status/1499576621283840000?s=20&t=pGslv4RdeRYWfVfdxNRiPQ