Nuclear engineer: “We stole fuel from the Russians to prevent a catastrophe”
What happened during the occupation of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which was once again under Ukrainian control? Factory employees tell the media about it.
Ukrainian soldiers patrol the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. (April 5, 2022)
Photo: Alexander Ratochnik (AP/dpa/Keystone)
Shortly after invading Ukraine on February 24, Russian forces occupied the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant. However, Ukrainian employees continued to take care of maintenance work at the plant, which was damaged in 1986. In an interview with the Russian language branch of the British BBC presenter An engineer revealed the details of the Russian occupation.
“We had to constantly negotiate with them and do our best not to offend them so that they let our employees manage the thing,” engineer Valery Simonov said in the interview published on Saturday.
It could have amounted to a “tragedy for mankind”.
During the occupation, power was also sometimes cut off. The Ukrainian expert said that at that time he secretly stole fuel from Russian soldiers to keep emergency generators running. “I wasn’t afraid for my life. I was afraid of what would happen if I didn’t take care of the facility.
Footage from drones intended to show trenches and the ground.
Photo: Ukrainian Army / Energoatom
Petro Poroshenko, the former Ukrainian president, visited Chernobyl on Friday bringing food and other supplies for the staff. The road to Chernobyl was possible only by a bumpy road. The bridge to Chernobyl was previously blown up to halt the Russian advance.
Ukrainian soldiers stand on a destroyed bridge between the village of Dytyatki and Chernobyl.
Photo: Alexander Ratochnik (AP/dpa/Keystone)
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