The IAEA is Trying to Save Humanity from a Nuclear Disaster in Ukraine

The IAEA chief has a plan for the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. The Security Council should listen.

Photo by Luke Jernejcic on Unsplash

There is a nightmare nuclear scenario in Ukraine that does not involve Russia letting loose its arsenal.

Since early March 2022, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has been under Russian occupation. This is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and the tenth largest in the world. The plant is not operational. All six reactors were taken offline at the start of the conflict. But even nuclear power plants that are not running require constant cooling to keep the reactors from melting down. That, in turn, requires that a steady stream of electricity. But ZNPP is near the frontlines and fighting in the vicinity has routinely interrupted power supplies. This is really dangerous.

On Monday, May 22, for the seventh time since Russia’s invasion, the plant was knocked off the main power grid. Thankfully, backup diesel generators kicked in and the cooling systems held.

But make no mistake: this was yet another near miss.

As Ukraine prepares for a muc…