(RightWing.org) – Concerns continue to mount regarding the possibility of a nuclear incident as the Russo-Ukrainian War stresses local infrastructure in both countries. Recent reports indicate that a local Russian official declared a state of emergency after workers detected a radiation leak.
On April 5, the City of Khabarovsk’s website reported that the mayor had declared a state of emergency after local officials discovered an elevated level of natural background radiation (NBR).
The report noted that officials from the southeastern Russian city sought the advice of the local branch of the Department of Civil Defense and Emergency Affairs when making that determination. The mayor’s office confirmed that the situation didn’t present a public health risk.
The city’s website said officials from a nearby nuclear waste facility, known throughout Russia as Specialized Radon Plants [SRPs], organized a work detail to “determine the nature of the source [and] its removal, transport, and disposal.”
Later that day, European websites reported that authorities were able to locate the radiation’s source. They said officials removed the material, “placed it in a protective container,” and transported it to the nearest SRP. Andrey Kolchin, the city’s Department of Civil Defense head, confirmed the discovery and advised that officials had cordoned off the area immediately surrounding the contaminant.
The Sun reported that a child discovered the increased radiation and reported the unusually high reading to city officials on March 28. However, the mayor’s office didn’t issue the state of emergency until eight days later. The declaration remained in effect until April 8 to give local law enforcement officials time to monitor the radiation levels in the area and investigate the incident.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high throughout Russia and Europe over the possibility of a serious nuclear incident due to the ongoing active fighting between Russia and Ukraine’s military. For instance, on April 7, Russian authorities denounced a drone strike at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the attack on Europe’s largest nuclear plant later that day.
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