Update: Fancy a mid-winter break in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya?
There’s a move afoot to safeguard the clapped-out nuclear plant by inserting a specially trained unarmed civilian “protection” team between the warring sides.
Stuart Littlewood writes:
Why this came my way, I don’t know. But it’s scary enough to be of interest to some, though once the realities become known it could be less so.
Zaporizhzhya has six old fission reactors surrounded by 37 years of nuclear waste in unprotected cooling pools and dry casks. The plant is near the front line and has been in Russian hands since February, although it is owned and operated by the Ukrainian state entity Energoatom, whose personnel still have the day to day management.
For months artillery fire has caused damage to various structures, including the back-up power supply lines needed to keep the reactors and their waste management systems from meltdown or fire.
A nightmare scenario, right enough.
The International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) negotiated an inspection that began on 31 August. Inspectors examined the plant for safety and witnessed the shut-down of the last reactor and reconnection of back-up power to the coolant system. Two international inspectors remain on site. A demilitarised zone of 30km around the plant has been recommended and negotiations are under way but without success so far, leaving thousands of civilians at serious risk if there were to be a release of nuclear material.
It is proposed to create a Zaporizhzhya protection team to monitor the demilitarised zone, assuming it is eventually established. Those with the ability are encouraged to offer their skills and expertise to train and deploy volunteers. But there are a number of problems:
- Ukraine is reluctant to demilitarise its sovereign territory for fear of ceding it to the Russian occupation. Russia is reluctant to demilitarise such a strategic asset that its army now controls. Armed UN peacekeepers would only add more weapons to this volatile situation.
- IAEA inspectors have set an example by going unarmed into occupied territory to preserve the lives of thousands of civilians.
- It is felt that neutral and unarmed civilians, suitably trained and in sufficient numbers, could monitor a demilitarised zone without giving military advantage to either side; at the same time protecting the plant until its fate is decided by the fortunes of war or negotiation.
- Their mission would be about the safety of humanity and not have any other agenda. It would thus attract global support, it is argued.
- It’s a chance for those who already practise nonviolent action or unarmed protection, but have been forced by events to work at the margins, to now come to the centre of this conflict and offer an alternative to militarism. Promoters of the scheme make the important point that even if such a team were never deployed, the very offer could receive enough worldwide news coverage to cool Europe’s frenzy to fuel the war and provide an alternative solution to this and future conflicts.
- Many jigsaw pieces need to fall into place before a Zaporizhzhya protection team can be fielded. For example:
- Commitment from enough volunteers. Hundreds would be needed to patrol and monitor the area around the plant, but several dozen might be enough, initially, to interest the UN, the warring parties and the public. If they agreed a two-month tour it would give the organisers enough time to source replacements.
- Deciding the skill sets needed to maximise safety and effectiveness and finding enough trainers.
- Getting funding.
But hang on a second. I saw somewhere in the blurb that it’s hoped initial volunteers will self-fund. Well, that immediately takes the shine off it for me. What’s also missing at this stage is how the protection team will protect itself, sandwiched between two sides that don’t seem acquainted with the laws of cricket. And can volunteers expect comfortable accommodation in Ukraine’s harsh winter? I don’t suppose there’s a well provisioned Holiday Inn nearby.
The theory sounds good, but what’s the reality? Me, I’d need generous danger money and gold-plated insurance, otherwise I’d sooner self-fund a trip to Disneyland.
This proposal comes from the World BEYOND War Board of Directors. Those interested are invited to contact John Reuwer: jfreuwer@aol.com
Update
30 November 2022
Update on efforts to form a “protection” team of unarmed civilian volunteers to monitor a demilitarised zone around the endangered nuclear power plant and support the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors.
To recap: Zaporizhzhya has six old reactors surrounded by 37 years of nuclear waste in unprotected cooling pools and dry casks. The plant is near the front line and has been in Russian hands since February, although it is owned and operated by the Ukrainian state entity Energoatom, whose personnel still have the day to day management.
For months artillery fire has caused damage to various structures, including the back-up power supply lines needed to keep the reactors and their waste management systems from meltdown or fire.
The IAEA has examined the plant for safety. The last reactor is now shut down and the back-up power to the coolant system reconnected. A demilitarised zone of 30km around the plant was recommended but nothing agreed at the last time of writing (22 October). There are of course many obstacles in the way. For example:
- Ukraine is reluctant to demilitarise its own territory for fear of ceding it to the Russian occupation. Russia is reluctant to demilitarise such a strategic asset that its army now controls. It is felt that armed UN peacekeepers would only make this volatile situation worse.
- Neutral and unarmed civilians, suitably trained and in sufficient numbers, could monitor a demilitarised zone without giving military advantage to either side, at the same time protecting the plant until its fate is decided by the fortunes of war or negotiation.
- Could enough volunteers be attracted? Hundreds would be needed to patrol and monitor the area around the plant.
- What skill sets are needed and where are the trainers?
- Funding.
Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, has repeated his call to demilitarise the area and predicts both sides will eventually agree to it (having been in communication with both presidents Zelensky and Putin). The Steering Committee for the Zaporizhzhya Protection Proposal is working towards establishing a party of 50 volunteers initially, and this should strengthen Grossi’s hand.
John Reuwer, who is chair of the Steering Committee, says:
Right now, we have 28 volunteers to go into Zaporizhzhya , with nine others who are interested but have not yet committed themselves. We need to increase our firm number to around 50, but the more the better. We would expect people to deploy for one to two months. Numerous unarmed civilian protection groups have been approached to conduct the trainings.
Training will be tailored to the task, namely, providing protection for a nuclear facility in a highly contested conflict zone, and will probably be conducted online. High hopes are pinned on the Vatican and backing from Pope Francis, who has spoken out strongly in favour of non-violent means of conflict resolution.
Meanwhile, in recent days we’ve seen reports that Ukrainian officials think Russia is preparing to quit the plant. This seems unlikely and the Kremlin denies it. So, the presumption must be that the standoff continues and so does the imminent danger of catastrophe.
There is still much to do and many questions volunteers might want answered before committing themselves. What about accommodation, travel arrangements, jabs, insurance cover, equipment, expenses, etc?
For those interested, further information and a form to sign up can be found here.
Update 2: Keeping the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant safe
18 December 2022
“The cutting edge of making peace – to take the risks for peace that soldiers take for war.”
The Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant remains intact despite continuing fighting nearby, and UN inspectors are still on site. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s director general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, says: “This place is at the front line which makes the whole thing so volatile and in need of an urgent action.”
Before the war the plant supplied 20 per cent of Ukraine’s power. It’s now shut down but the reactors need constant cooling with circulating water, otherwise they could overheat and quickly cause a nuclear catastrophe. The cooling system relies on electricity coming from the town, and there’s shelling. In a conflict zone anything could happen to interrupt the supply – and probably will.
Diesel generators are there for emergencies but that arrangement is not secure enough for any length of time.
John Reuwer, chair of the Zaporizhzhya Protection Project steering committee, says:
We are grateful for all those working to end war and challenge those that cause wars… especially those volunteering for and supporting this project to protect countless people from the potential radiation disaster caused by war. This is the cutting edge of making peace – to take the risks for peace that soldiers take for war.
Last week saw the first training of volunteers, with 35 participating. They learned about the specifics of the project, the nature of the Zaporizhzhya plant, the dangers it faces and the threat it poses. They were also introduced to the workings of Unarmed Civilian Protection. A second training session is scheduled for January. Reuwer announced that the effort had grown in numbers and capacity beyond being a proposal and was now a full-blown project “the purpose of which is to form the Zaporizhzhya Protection Team willing to be boots on the ground for the protection of people from a radiation catastrophe”.
Contact has been established with the International Atomic Energy Agency which says that for the moment its inspectors have adequate support from the United Nations but want the ZPP team to keep in touch. “What this means,” says Reuwer, “is that we do not yet have a mandate to be on the ground at the plant. Most of us agree, however, that we should continue training as if we did, so that when the opportunity arises we will be prepared to move quickly.
In the meantime, he appeals for more volunteers, continued moral support and pledges of money for hiring trainers for the more technical aspects.
More information is available here. And if you want to know more about the problems the ZPP team are trying to tackle the following links might be helpful:
https://www.iaea.org/nuclear-safety-and-security-in-ukraine
