China News Service, November 24th (Reporter Meng Xiangjun) For two consecutive days, one of the largest nuclear power plants in Europe - the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine suffered heavy shelling.

  The two nuclear accidents at Chernobyl and Fukushima have still left the shadows in the hearts of the world. If Zaporozhye reappears the nightmare, another scar will be drawn.

  Who did it?

Russia and Ukraine are still sticking to each other.

Therefore, International Atomic Energy Director-General Grossi called for an immediate cessation of shelling and pointed out that opening fire near the nuclear power plant is tantamount to "playing with fire", and whoever is "behind the scenes" must "stop immediately".

[What happened to this nuclear power plant?

  The following is a set of information about the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, which can roughly sort out the ins and outs:

Subject of the event:

Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine

Location:

left bank of the Dnieper River, near the city of Energodar

Scale:

6 generating units with 1000MW power

Role:

Supply 1/5-1/4 electricity to Ukraine (before the Ukraine crisis started)

Status:

The largest number of units in Europe, the largest nuclear power plant in power, and the largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine

Operation:

It has been managed by the Ukrainian State Nuclear Power Corporation, and has been occupied and guarded by the Russian military since March 2022

Data map: Zaporozhye nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine.

  On the morning of November 19 and 20, 2022 local time, the facilities and power supply lines of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant were shelled.

Being attacked:

  A total of 12 missile attacks

  6 missiles fall into reactor cooling pool

  2 missiles fall into dry nuclear waste storage area

Loss situation:

  ·No casualties

  Partial damage to nuclear power plant radioactive waste storage facilities, cooling pool spray systems, cables, bridges, etc.

  · The key equipment of the nuclear power plant is intact

  The radiation level of the nuclear power plant and its surroundings is normal

  In fact, this nuclear power plant is indeed in "dire straits".

Since the Russian army occupied and guarded the nuclear power plant in March 2022, the area has been bombarded continuously.

The nuclear nitrogen and oxygen devices and radiation detection equipment of the nuclear power plant were damaged successively. The storage facility containing 174 spent fuel containers was hit by rockets. Only one of the six reactors remained in operation.

  In August, the nuclear power plant encountered a wave of intensive bombardment, and the Russian side counted more than 50 bombs falling; in September, the power supply of the last 750 kV power supply line of the nuclear power plant was interrupted, and power could only be supplied to the grid through a backup line; since then, external power supply The line was also interrupted by the explosion, and then resumed; now that the shelling is happening again, the nuclear power plant can indeed be said to be "hanging by a thread".

[Zelensky calls for a safe zone]

  At the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council held in August, Russia and Ukraine accused each other, each holding a word, and both believed that the other party did it.

On May 1, local time, in southeastern Ukraine, a Russian soldier guarded an area of ​​the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.

  In order to clarify the truth of the incident, on September 1 local time, Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, led a delegation to Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant to investigate.

  The nuclear power plant is in Ukraine. Since the Russian army is guarding the nuclear power plant, the Russian side agrees with the delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency to investigate the status of the nuclear power plant.

The Ukrainian side believed that this would give Russia the "legitimacy" to occupy the nuclear power plant, and for a time continued to oppose the investigation team's visit.

  After some entanglement, the investigation team still launched an investigation. The report confirmed that the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant was shelled, but it did not make a clear conclusion as to which party did it.

  After a new wave of shelling occurred in November, various parties expressed different opinions, once again highlighting the complexity of the situation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on all countries to "ensure that Ukraine's nuclear reactors will not be sabotaged by Russia."

Uzbekistan suggested that the International Atomic Energy Agency demilitarize the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant and establish a nuclear safety and security protection zone.

  Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is also worried.

He emphasized that all parties "don't play with fire, no matter who it is, stop it immediately."

He called on Russia and Ukraine to reach an agreement as soon as possible to "establish a nuclear safety zone around the nuclear power plant."

【"Putin knows every detail"】

  The Russian Ministry of Defense insisted that the attack on the nuclear power plant was caused by "the Ukrainian army using large-caliber artillery to fire more than 20 times."

  On November 21, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova stated that Russia notified the International Atomic Energy Agency Secretariat of all the information Russia has, including photos and videos that can reflect the consequences of the shelling.

  Likhachev, CEO of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation, warned that "there is a risk of nuclear accidents at nuclear power plants", but to build a safe zone, the International Atomic Energy Agency must "get the approval of the United States."

Russian President Vladimir Putin.

  It is worth noting that Grossi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in October, and the other party proposed to Grossi to discuss the situation at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, and pointed out that Moscow is "open to the resolution of all problems."

  Grossi pointed out to the US media that Putin "not only has a very good understanding of the plane location map of the nuclear power plant, but importantly, he also understands (the nuclear power plant) power supply and external energy acquisition", "he knows every detail about this issue" .

He was also "surprised" by Putin's understanding of Grossi's own security proposals.

  Putin "believes in what he does," Grossi added.

  It is not difficult to judge that Putin's "knowledge" of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant further illustrates the importance of the control of this nuclear power plant and nearby areas to the changes in the situation in Ukraine.

Therefore, the two sides have never stopped fierce competition.

[The Ukrainian army will launch a winter offensive?

  All in all, the attack on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant may become another "Rashomon" in the situation in Ukraine.

However, what is reflected behind this is the further tense situation.

  In early November, 30,000 Russian soldiers and about 5,000 pieces of weapons and equipment were withdrawn from the Kherson area to the left bank of the Dnieper River.

Since then, military observers pointed out that the Ukrainian army also showed signs of withdrawing from the already occupied Kherson area, and began to strengthen the military formation in the direction of Zaporozhye.

Data map: Ukrainian soldiers sit on armored personnel carriers in the Donetsk region.

  The Kyiv authorities plan to strengthen combat operations, and the Ukrainian army’s defense line is being strengthened. Rogoff, chairman of the "We are with Russia" movement and a member of the Zaporozhye State Administration, analyzed that the Ukrainian side is trying to close the border in Zaporozhye Oblast by the end of 2022. Launch a massive attack.

  Rogoff believes that there is currently no prerequisite for freezing the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

This means that the large-scale winter offensive of the Ukrainian army is about to start?

(Finish)