Russia's military invasion of Ukraine has hit an unprecedented situation in which an operating nuclear power plant is under armed attack.


How should we deal with the risk of attacks on nuclear facilities?


The reporter in charge "infiltrates" for the first time at the forefront of research.

I found out that there is a shocking image.


And new discussions have begun in the world.



(Taku Hasegawa / Shinsuke Fujioka, Reporter, Faculty of Science and Culture)

At the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant ...

Ukraine's Zaporizhia nuclear power plant attacked by Russian troops.



Approximately three months after the attack, the Russian army is still in control.

It is said that more than 500 soldiers and military vehicles are stationed on the premises, and explosives are also placed.



Deputy Governor Petro Kotin of the Ukrainian Nuclear Power Corporation expressed a sense of crisis, saying, "Russian troops attacked and completely destroyed the administration building. Such actions could lead to a nuclear catastrophe."

What was the risk of this attack?



Sukeyuki Ichimasa, a senior researcher at the National Institute for Defense Studies of the Ministry of Defense, analyzed the images at that time and pointed out that if one step was wrong, the nuclear reactor etc. would break and radioactive materials could leak out.



"A unit of vehicles invades the interior with very strong fire support. I think it is an aspect of a military invasion that exceeds expectations."

Until then, "terrorism" was supposed to be an attack on nuclear power plants.



It is said that there was no way to protect against systematic attacks by the military like this time.



The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant was hit by an unexpected attack, but so far no damage has been done to the reactor.

The assumption in Japan is

What if a domestic nuclear reactor is attacked from the outside?



We found that an experiment assuming such a situation is being conducted at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, the only research institute on nuclear energy in Japan.



This is the first time that a camera has entered the front line of research.

The experiment that was being conducted was supposed to be a "collision by an aircraft aimed at a nuclear reactor", and a cylinder that looked like an aircraft was collided at a speed of about 200 to 700 km / h, affecting the walls and internal equipment. To find out.

Collect data such as the degree of damage to the wall and vibration by hitting an iron cylinder.



Furthermore, the purpose is to experiment by changing the thickness of the wall and the strength of the cylinder, and to use it as a safety measure for the nuclear power plant.

Akemi Nishida, Deputy Director of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, said, "I hope we can analyze and evaluate various conditions. In the future, we hope to put together guidelines and make it widely available. I will. "

The assumption is "terrorism" Armed attack ...

However, this research is based on the assumption of an attack by terrorism.



The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is asking electric power companies to take measures against collisions caused by aircraft.



On the other hand, it is the national position that an armed attack like that that occurred in Ukraine goes beyond the scope of terrorism and becomes a problem of "defense", so it cannot be dealt with by nuclear safety regulations.



At the House of Councilors Budget Committee on May 30, NRA Chairman Toyoshi Fuketa said, "Regulatory standards do not currently require preparation for armed attacks, and we will continue to do so. I don't. "

New debate in the world

Under these circumstances, new discussions have begun in the world regarding the safety of nuclear power plants.



The American think tank "Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI)" evaluates counter-terrorism measures at nuclear power plants and makes recommendations to the government.

Responses to armed attacks have not previously been included in the assessment, but Deputy Representative Scott Loker said, "Ukraine's military invasion has a significant impact on our assessment. International in attacks on nuclear facilities. We will also consider various norms, "he said, and may revise the standards in the future.

How to deal with

How should we deal with the new risk of attacking nuclear power plants in the future?



Professor Hiroshi Yamagata of Nagaoka University of Technology, a former executive of the Nuclear Regulatory Agency, said, "The effective way to reduce damage as much as possible against attacks is to stop the nuclear power plant in an emergency by a national order. The government, electric power companies, the Self-Defense Forces, etc. should cooperate in training and prepare for it on a daily basis. "

On the other hand, Hajime Matsukubo, the secretary general of the Nuclear Information Center of the NPO, which makes policy proposals from a critical standpoint, said, "While there are nuclear power plants that can be targeted for attack, do we put risks on the local residents?" We have to discuss whether we will continue to use the nuclear power plant. "



The country has shown a stance of "maximizing the use of nuclear power."



In the future, I think it is necessary to further deepen the debate over the safety of nuclear power plants.