UN Photo A UNDP delegation visits the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. A drone strike on the Chernobyl nuclear power plant could endanger the safety of millions of people Peace and Security
A drone strike on the protective structure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant could have endangered the safety of millions of people. This was stated by the head of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Alexander De Croo, speaking to journalists via video link from Kiev.
De Croo is in Ukraine on a working visit, dedicated primarily to the restoration of the energy infrastructure and preparing the country for the fifth winter in conditions of a full-scale war. inside the protective structure above the fourth power unit, destroyed in 1986. He saw with his own eyes the consequences of a drone strike the day before.
“Anyone who strikes such protective structures located above nuclear facilities is playing with the safety of millions of people. A nuclear facility should never be targeted. There can be no excuses and no ambiguity here. This must stop,” said the head of UNDP.
According to him, official information about the origin of the drone will become known as a result of the investigation. However, representatives of the military guarding the Chernobyl nuclear power plant informed him that Russian drones fly over the site every day.
“Whether this strike was intentional or accidental, it is unacceptable. Preventing drones from flying over this site is one way to prevent such incidents,” De Croo said.During his visit to Chernobyl, the head of the UNDP also took part in the opening of a new solar power plant. The project was implemented with the support of Lithuania and Japan, in cooperation with the Ukrainian authorities and with technical assistance from UNDP. The power plant will provide energy for the cooling systems of the fourth reactor.
Rebuilding the energy system: better than before
Energy was one of the main topics of De Croo’s visit. Over four years, UNDP has raised $1.3 billion to help the people of Ukraine, and its largest area of work has been restoring the energy system. Thanks to this support, 6.6 million people have access to electricity.
At the same time, according to the head of UNDP, not only the old facilities are being restored. Ukraine is gradually moving towards a more sustainable and decentralized energy system, which is more difficult to destroy with one blow. Electricity, he emphasized, means much more than light in homes: the operation of schools, hospitals, water pipes and other vital services depends on it. However, about half of the country’s energy infrastructure has already been damaged by attacks, and the coming winter promises to be extremely difficult.
“We are doing everything we can to help 6.6 million people. But it is clear that today this is not enough,” De Croo admitted.
“The front line is everywhere”
While in Kyiv, the head of the UNDP constantly hears air raid signals – according to him, sometimes they sound at least once every two hours and last all night. During his visit, there were reports of attacks on a bus stop, a gas station, a food processing plant and a business center near the hotel where he spoke.
De Croo noted that the intensity of attacks has increased over the past two weeks. According to him, they stopped only for two days, when American representatives were in Kyiv participating in negotiations with the Ukrainian authorities, and then intensified again.
“Previously, the east of the country was considered the front line. Today, the front line is everywhere,” he said.
The head of the UNDP warned that constant worries and shocks are exhausting people. He said admiration for the resilience of Ukrainians should not obscure the price they pay for living under such conditions.
“We always talk about resilience, but resilience has its limits,” De Croo said.
He stressed that civilians and civilian infrastructure cannot be legitimate targets, but all such cases must be recorded and investigated so that those responsible do not escape responsibility.
UNDP will continue to help Ukraine
Despite the danger, UNDP does not intend to delay reconstruction until after the war. However, full-scale reconstruction of the country will take many years. According to the latest estimate from the World Bank and UN agencies, the cost of repairing war damage already exceeds $600 billion.
“Rebuilding infrastructure does not wait for the end of the war. We have been doing this since the beginning of the war and, despite it, we will continue this work,” De Croo said.