“This is the first time that a war has been fought in a country with such a highly developed infrastructure of nuclear sites and facilities. While experts predicted particular sites might be placed at risk, the reality of what has, and has yet to transpire has challenged assumed norms governing nuclear generating sites in conflict, and the ability of the international community to respond.”
This is the war coverage from the first in a series of thematic briefings on the environmental consequences of the armed conflict in Ukraine, jointly prepared by the Conflict and Environment Observatory and Zoï Environment Network. The United Nations Environment Programme and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs support the work as part of their efforts to monitor the environmental situation in Ukraine.
According to the report, there is an urgent need to repair and restore the physical infrastructure and reinstate the personnel necessary for safety in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, ensuring that measures are in place to respond to any further interruptions linked to the armed conflict. The survey and clearance of land mines and unexploded ordnance will be a prerequisite for efforts to assess the extent of any localised or landscape level ecological impacts linked to the occupation of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.
A video shows Russian tanks rolling into Chernobyl just hours into the first day of the war in Ukraine. Russian troops shut off all official government surveillance cameras. Still, they didn’t notice the small camera from the Chernobyl Tour agency.
Ukraine has a wide range of facilities that use or house radioactive materials. It is essential that these sites are documented and the potential presence of radioactive materials be integrated into risk analysis procedures and environmental assessments; including, but not limited to, clarification on the use of depleted uranium munitions.
The ongoing occupation and disruption of nuclear sites demonstrate the importance of robust and effective international protocols, procedures and risk assessments for nuclear facilities affected by armed conflicts. In light of the extraordinary threats to nuclear sites experienced, it is imperative that measures are put in place to reduce risks in future conflicts and strengthen international norms governing the protection of such sites.
For more information on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, please see Reuters ‘The Road to Stalemate’, an interactive map that features extensive use of open source information.