“Rosatom Has No Resources To Build Reactors Of Good Quality”

Independent journalist Nadezhda Popova calls on the Russian authorities to pay attention to the “insane state of the domestic nuclear industry”.

Russian journalist Nadezhda Popova, who handles investigations on the nuclear topic, has appealed to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in connection with the incident that happened at the Belarusian NPP, and Rosatom’s reaction to it.

In her letter in the name of Minsiter Sergey Lavrov, Nadezhda Popova calls on the Russian authorities to pay attention to the “insane state of the domestic nuclear industry” and, before it is too late, to stop construction of the Belarusian NPP as, according to her, “a great international scandal is coming”. The Belarusian Partisan has published Nadezhda Popova’s letter:

Dear Sergey Viktorovich!

I am addressing to you herewith repeatedly with respect to the problematic NPP “Ostrovets”, which is under construction in Belarus. The construction is performed by Rosatom State Corporation.

In October 2015, we, the journalists, informed the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the nuclear reactor for the Belarusian NPP, which had been assembled of the old parts and fittings for the unprecedentedly short terms!

Rosatom seems to “bake” these nuclear reactors (the same as the new high-capacity atomic ice-breakers) like pancakes. Atomic scientists have been ringing alarm bells about such unprecedented terms of construction for a long time. Rosatom today has no necessary capacities to build so fast, and, most importantly, with a good quality!

However, our appeals to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs were forwarded to Rosatom and the Russian Ministry of Energy, who sent formal replies. We kept informing the press-centers of Vladimir Putin and Dmitri Medvedev about the numerous incidents that happened at the construction site of the Belarusian NPP.

But! The situation is not changing, but deteriorating. On July 10, 2016 the mentioned nuclear reactor, assembled of the old parts and fittings, “flew off the hinges” during the test installation in the reactor hall. It fell from the height of 4 meters.

Being a journalist who handles nuclear issues, I received this information from the atomic scientists, namely, Igor Ostretsov, Professor, Doctor of Engineering Science.

Our atomic scientists have close connections with the Belarusian scientists. The information was published by dozens of the Belarusian media. Still, Rosatom keeps denying everything. Rosatom never works any other way. However, what is done by night appears by day. The fallen nuclear reactor was seriously damaged.

I am asking you to pay attention to the insane state of the domestic nuclear industry. It is getting more and more complicated to cover up negative and emergency situations. The weird relations between the IAEA and Rosatom, which we, the journalists, have been writing about since 2013, cannot but make one wonder.

In May 2013, the IAEA director Yukiya Amano arrived to the atomic Udomlya with a visit to the fourth block of the Kalinin Nuclear Power Station, which literally smoked and sparked of numerous emergency situations and accidents. However, Yukiya Amano called the work of the nuclear station in Udomlya a showcase! The nuclear reactor at the fourth block of the Kalinin NPP had also been assembled of old parts and fittings. Mr. Amano also praised the new “ultramodern” Belarusian NPP (the visit in April 2016)

Kindly ask you to enlighten the Russian president Putin, as – and this is obvious – a great international scandal is coming .

Respectfully, Nadezhda Popova, independent journalist