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.

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 (ZNPP) 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 backup power supply lines needed to keep the reactors and their waste management systems from meltdown or fire.

A nightmare scenario, right enough.



The ZNPP, which was built between 1984 and 1995, is the largest in Europe and is among the world’s 10 largest nuclear power plants. Located in southeastern Ukraine near the city of Enerhodar, the plant generates 20% of Ukraine’s electricity.
The six reactors, each of which has a net capacity of 950 megawatts, can supply energy to nearly 4 million households with a total electricity production of 5,700 megawatts.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) negotiated an inspection that began on 31 August. Inspectors examined the plant for safety and witnessed the shutdown of the last reactor and reconnection of backup power to the coolant system. Two international inspectors remain on site. A demilitarized zone of 30km around the plant has been recommended and negotiations are underway 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 demilitarized 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 demilitarize its sovereign territory for fear of ceding it to Russian occupation. Russia is reluctant to demilitarize 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 de-militarized 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 practice nonviolent action or unarmed protection, but have been forced by events to work at the margins, to now come to the center 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.

A serviceman with a Russian flag on his uniform stands guard near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the course of the Ukraine-Russia conflict outside the Russian-controlled city of Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine August 4, 2022.

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 on a 2-month tour it would give the organizers enough time to source replacements.
• Deciding the skill sets needed to maximize safety and effectiveness and finding enough trainers.
• Getting funding.

But hang on a sec. 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, WorldBeyondWar.org/johnreuwer

©21 October 2022 – Stuart Littlewood

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9 COMMENTS

  1. It would make no sense whatsoever for Russia to nuke the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant, just like it made no sense whatsoever for the USA to invade Afghanistan in August of 2001. By the end of September 80% of Americans were all for invading. What happened? Oh, that’s right, the false-flag attacks of 9/11 happened that were blamed on the Arabs when in fact it was Israel that nuked the Twin Towers and got away with it. False-flag attack on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant, coming right up, folks. This time it will be blamed on Russia.

  2. The IAEA Commission has been there several times. They perfectly saw by the nature of the damage – from where and who fired at the nuclear power plant. But the head of the commission does not have the balls of steel to tell the truth. Since then, the UkroWermacht has tried several times to ferry a landing force of up to 250 soldiers on boats to capture the NPP. But they were drowned like kittens halfway through. Everything suggests that the Nazi regime in Kiev will stop at nothing to create a global resonance and hang all the dogs on the Kremlin.

  3. Uranium 235 is not enough for the USA. To do this, nuclear power plants in Europe and Japan are being closed. The USA and their ruler Zelensky planned to blow up the Zaporozhye NPP. The explosion was planned to be done as in Chernobyl. Professor Ostretsov wrote an open letter to the United States and to Kiev, so that the nuclear power plant would not be blown up, Ostretsov asked to blow up the turbine. It will not be possible to make a turbine today. It takes many years to restore it. Because of the threat of an explosion of a nuclear power plant, Putin urgently sent troops to Ukraine. The US can blow up a nuclear power plant. It’s possible.

  4. The IAEA did not say just who it was that stupidly shelled the plant with artillery many times. (the Ukrainian side obviously)
    The IAEA checked it out for danger from melt down etc, and reactors shut down now too, but they obviously “took sides” since they did not “ask nicely” for the nazi Ukrainians to please STOP SHELLING the plant. Perhaps worried about assasinations of inspectors?

    Biggest problem is those nuclear waste “pools” all over the area.
    The reactor itself seems to be in a safe mode, but some explosions into those pools is going to send that stuff into atmosphere, cause “fallout” from the skies into huge amount of territory….depends on which way the wind blows who gets it.
    Wild eyed no brain all hate nazis facing defeat by Russia as in WW2, and seeing E Ukraine for sure now part of Russia and their nazi butt buddies in prison or dead, and no more zillions from USA nazi government, see its really the end for this “take down” of Russia.
    So if they “cant have it” they will ruin everything.
    Some big ICBMs lobbed into those cooling pools, which I heard that EACH ONE is nearly 100 times as large in volume as what was in Chernobyl and there are lots of them.
    Then of course “Russia did it”

  5. First, “welcome back.”
    It is not as easy as the comment above prospects.
    Do you remember what Chernobyl was in Europe that spared neither Switzerland nor Austria and Italy defended by its Alps? Let alone where the plain from Ukro – Russia stretches all the way to Germany and neighboring countries (not if as well crossed the English Channel to Britain).
    It is not as easy as it was not easy to disarm the conflict by enforcing agreements systematically disregarded by EU countries with rulers succubus to US-NATO.
    It is not easy when proxy warriors (hailed by the world mainsteam) bomb the plant. Finally, it is not easy because those who govern us have individually voted their souls to Satan and all together are a soulless Alien hoping for the death of so many to take possession of their souls.
    But everything would be easy if everyone had awareness of what is.

  6. Easy to solve this problem: to suggest /to enable the IAEA inspectors to live there 24/7/365.

    • Hi Andrew
      Good idea, but they will all die slow death from radioactive poisoning, like half the world, when the defeated nazi fucks blow to shit with US ICBMs the nuclear waste cooling pools and caches (and blame Russia)

    • Sorry, Andy, that will never stop Israel from pulling off a horrible false-flag attack on the Zaporizhzhya plant. Zionism is a suicidal death cult that has a collective hard-on for Armageddon and nothing short of WWIII will get them off.

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