Russia risks nuclear catastrophe by planning to restart Reactor 1 at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which it has occupied since March 2022. Ukrainian nuclear authority president Pavlo Kovtoniuk has called the move nuclear terrorism, warning that Russian crews lack knowledge of Ukrainian safety systems and that a loss of control could trigger a continent‑wide disaster. In September 2022 all six reactors were shut for safety, but last month Russia’s regulatory agency Rostekhnadzor issued a ten‑year license to restart operations. Rosatom director‑general Alexey Likhachev said the plant would be a key pillar for the region’s industrial recovery once the situation normalises. The Ukrainian side says the plant uses Westinghouse fuel and Ukrainian safety equipment, and that Russian repairs are minimal and unsafe. The International Atomic Energy Agency has urged against restarting the plant, noting that power grid damage from Russian attacks endangers reactor cooling and safety systems. Russian forces have also targeted other Ukrainian nuclear sites, intensifying the security risk. The Ukrainian government claims the attacks amount to nuclear terrorism and a war on civilians, aiming to terrorise the population by cutting power and heating.

Original article can be found here.