MELITOPOL, February 16. /TASS/. Renat Karchaa, an adviser to the director general of Rosenergoatom, has told TASS that the water level in the Kakhovka Reservoir has significantly dropped due to shelling by Ukrainian forces, but that doesn’t pose a danger to the safety of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.
"At the moment, the reduction of the water level in the Kakhovka Reservoir poses no critical danger from the perspective of norms and requirements of nuclear safety. There is enough water for the plant’s cooling system," he said.
At the same time, Karchaa called the very fact the decreasing water level a "worrying symptom."
"It's the least allowable now. It’s due to the constant strikes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station: They bombed it, while artificially blocking the drains of the reservoir. This situation is entirely on their conscience," he said.
According to the official Russia will be able to ensure the nuclear safety of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant at any rate, even if the water level in the reservoir drops further. He said that one of the key elements of the reactor cooling system is spray cooling ponds, which Kiev neglected.
"Ukraine, talking about nuclear safety, made a mess of the cooling ponds: They had reeds growing there, ducks swimming around. We are now busy cleaning them," Karchaa said.
He explained that the ponds can be filled with water, including from external sources.