On July 25, it was reported that power unit number four had been put into “hot shutdown” mode. In response, Ukrainian state-run energy company Energoatom said in a statment, “Such an action is a gross violation of the license requirements to operate the nuclear facility. Right now, the operation of power unit No. 4 of ZNPP should be done exclusively in a ‘cold shutdown’ state.”
The IAEA didn’t make an objection to that in their own press release on the 12th. Just a suggestion to comply with the national regulator.
The plant is separately preparing to move reactor unit 4 from cold shutdown to hot shutdown – after which unit 5, currently in hot shutdown, will be placed in cold shutdown in order to carry out preventive maintenance activities that are only possible in cold shutdown. The other units remain in cold shutdown.
The site uses the steam generated from one reactor unit in hot shutdown for various nuclear safety purposes including the processing of liquid radioactive waste collected in storage tanks. However, the IAEA experts are strongly encouraging the ZNPP to investigate all possible options to install an external boiler to generate the steam required, which would enable the site to bring all units into a cold shutdown state. The Ukraine national regulator – SNRIU – has issued regulatory orders to limit the operation of all six units to a cold shutdown state.
Russia would fire nuclear weapon if Ukraine succeed in counteroffensive, says Medvedev
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who has sometimes raised the spectre of a nuclear conflict over Ukraine, hs said that Moscow would have to use a nuclear weapon if Kyiv’s ongoing counter-offensive was a success.
Medvedev, who is deputy chair of Russia‘s security council, a body chaired by president Vladimir Putin, said in a message on his official social media accounts that Russia would be forced to fall back on its own nuclear doctrine in such a scenario, Reuters reported.
Imagine if the… offensive, which is backed by NATO, was a success and they tore off a part of our land then we would be forced to use a nuclear weapon according to the rules of a decree from the president of Russia.
There would simply be no other option. So our enemies should pray for our warriors’ [success]. They are making sure that a global nuclear fire is not ignited.
Medvedev, who has cast himself as one of Moscow’s most hawkish voices, appeared to be referring to part of Russia‘s nuclear doctrine which sets out that nuclear weapons can be used in response to aggression against Russia carried out using conventional weapons which threatens the existence of the Russian state.
Ukraine is trying to retake territory which Russia has unilaterally annexed and declared to be part of its own territory, a move condemned by Kyiv and much of the West.
Not everyone’s keeping count though. Kuzia, the marksman for tonight’s mission, says “it’s nothing to be proud of. We’re not killing people, we’re destroying the enemy”.
Almost all of the production in 2022 was exported through intermediaries to Ukraine, sources told EURACTIV. In 2022, Bulgaria exported to Kyiv mainly ammunition for the old Soviet weapons systems, on which Ukraine largely continues to rely.
The export through intermediaries resulted from the policy of pro-Russian Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and the pro-Russian Bulgarian Socialist Party, who were in charge of the arms trade last year and refused to sell directly to Ukraine.
Now a pro-Western government is in power in the country, for which the export of arms is not a taboo.
Same old, same old. Resettlement of Russians with various material incentives into empty Ukrainian homes after the Holodomor is how Donbas became “mostly Russian-speaking” in the first place.
Putin’s dancing bear continues proudly in his role as Minister in Charge of Cartoonishly Thuggish Threats. This is all this toady does for a living these days.
In connection with the confirmed damage to the Chongar railway bridge, I consider it appropriate to recall the importance of this connection for Russian military logistics.
The railroads that Russians can use to supply the entire southern front are a connection from Armiansk towards Kherson and from Dzhankoi towards Melitopil. There are no other working railways (the railway connection from the direction of Donetsk to Volnovakha does not function).
The railway from the Armiansk to Kherson is within the reach of HIMARS and therefore cannot be used effectively. Until now, the only railway road, on which the entire southern front relied, was connection between Chongar to Melitopol. But it was damaged recently and this route is not functional yet.
If it will be possible to ensure that Russians will not be able to restore this railway line, then Russian forces on the southern front would no longer be able to rely on railroad supplies.
