ZNPP won't operate until Kakhovka reservoir is restored - former Chornobyl NPP chief engineer

He said this on Espreso TV. 

“On the third day after the Kakhovka dam was blown up, ZNPP Unit 5 started cooling down, but it took some time. After that, from the point of view of nuclear safety, nothing can happen unless these savages from the east do something again. As for ZNPP, the plant will not operate until the Kakhovka reservoir is restored. These power units will not operate until the new Kakhovka reservoir is restored,” said the former Deputy Minister of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine.

He noted that after the fifth power unit is cooled down, the water available at the plant will be sufficient.

• On the night of June 6, Russians blew up the dam of the Kakhovka HPP (read more about it here). Energoatom stated that the explosion of the Kakhovka HPP could have negative consequences for ZNPP, but the situation is currently under control.

• On June 7, the mayor's office in Enerhodar said that residents should leave the city, as the situation at the plant could get out of control at any time.

• The IAEA also said that if the rate of water level drop continues, ZNPP will not be able to pump water from the Kakhovka reservoir in two days.

• However, on the evening of June 8, the IAEA noted that according to preliminary expert conclusions, Zaporizhzhia NPP should be able to pump water out of the reactor cooling reservoir after its level drops below the critical 12.7 meters. However, for accurate information, the IAEA experts requested access to the place where the water level in the reservoir is measured, as well as to the Zaporizhzhia TPP canal adjacent to the ZNPP.

• On June 9, Energoatom put the last power unit of ZNPP into cold shutdown mode.