Blog Layout

Officials say they “panicked at the first sign of illness.”

Nuclear Decay

In yet another dramatic twist to the saga of the Russian invasion of Ukraine’s impact on nuclear power infrastructure, Ukraine officials are now saying that the Russian military is making a hasty retreat from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site after troops suffered radiation poisoning there.

Ukraine state-owned utility outfit Energoatom said that Russian forces had been exposed to “significant doses” of radiation at the site, according to  The Guardian , and “panicked at the first sign of illness” which had “showed up very quickly.”

To be clear, it remains somewhat hazy exactly what has gone down at Chernobyl since Russia seized it during the early days of the invasion, with Ukraine likely trying to craft a narrative of maximum incompetence on behalf of Russian authorities. But the ongoing spectacle — as well as the uncertainty surrounding it — does represent a sobering reminder of the liability posed by aging and derelict infrastructure when two nuclear powers become entangled in an armed conflict.

Hot Potato

The latest claims come after a tragedy of errors at the melted down facility. Ukraine officials have already accused Russia of impeding efforts to fight fires near the site, letting the power go out there , of seizing or allowing dirty bomb materials to be looted from a nearby facility, and destroying a lab that monitored radiation levels.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Even more recently, Ukrainian officials said this week that Russian soldiers had ignored warnings against entering a restricted area near the site — “nobody goes there… for God’s sake” said the Chernobyl acting director — without protective equipment and inhaling radioactive dust. After that event, officials said that Russian troops had suffered radiation poisoning.

After the most recent claims, the director general of the International Atomic Energy pledged to head a mission to the plant to provide “assistance and support.” But some are expressing skepticism, with Union of Concerned Scientists nuclear expert Edwin Lyman telling the  Associated Press  that it “seems unlikely” that a large number of Russian troops would have suffered radiation poisoning.

Care about supporting clean energy adoption? Find out how much money (and planet!) you could save by switching to solar power at UnderstandSolar.com. By signing up through this link , Futurism.com may receive a small commission.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Share This Article

By Laurence November 21, 2022
Usually, the winners of a pitching competition are bathed with accolades, media attention, and applause. After it’s done and dusted, all they have to think about is what to spend
By Laurence November 19, 2022
Above all else, FTX advertisements wanted you to know two things: that cryptocurrency is a force for good, and that you don’t need to be an expert to buy and
By Laurence November 19, 2022
This article was originally published on .cult by Luis Minvielle. .cult is a Berlin-based community platform for developers. We write about all things career-related, make original documentaries, and share heaps
By Laurence November 18, 2022
Okay, that’s a good question. Red Crew, Blue Crew Had it not been for the heroics of three members of NASA’s specialized “Red Crew,” NASA’s absolutely massive — and incredibly
By Laurence November 18, 2022
Pharmaceutical manufacturing is closely linked to mass production. In order for medicines to be sold cheaply, they often have to be made in huge amounts. But what happens if you
By Laurence November 17, 2022
“I’m in checkmark purgatory.” Checkmate They say “don’t meet your heroes,” but what’s even worse? When your hero buys Twitter, forces you and others to start paying eight dollars per
More Posts
Share by: