the Soviet Authorities concealed the information about three dozen accidents at nuclear power plants.
the security Service of Ukraine has declassified the documents of the state security Committee (KGB) of the USSR about the tragedy at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant occurred in the night from 25 to 26 April 1986. In the second book of the collection “Chernobyl KGB files. From construction to accidents” was presented 229 documents that cover the period from early 1970 to November 1986. Most of them (190) were first published.
According to the Director of the Ukrainian Institute of national memory (winp) Anton Drabovich, new materials will help you better understand the causes of technological disasters. In the book, in particular, are the transcript of the telephone conversations at Chernobyl on the night of the accident, the instance of the first reports of the incident, information on the investigation of the accident by the security organs and the construction of the sarcophagus. The presentation of the book took place in the exclusion zone on Monday, June 22.
Industrial safety at Chernobyl was provided by the KGB of the USSR, including directly engaged in the economic counterintelligence and protection scientific and technical achievements of the Soviet Union. Under their supervision from the time of first construction on the territory of Soviet Ukraine nuclear power plant was 9 294 man and 40 organizations.
Operational activities of the KGB at first was aimed at identifying “unreliable element”: persons of German and Chinese nationalities convicted of especially dangerous crimes against the state, former members of the organization of Ukrainian nationalists (OUN banned in Russia) in contact with visitors from the capitalist countries.
“an agent” of the KGB from among the personnel of the ChNPP had to identify neglect and theft of building materials on the part of employees, violation of the rules of fire and radiation safety, the violation of technological regulations of operation of a nuclear power station.
In the special messages of the KGB the KGB of the USSR in 1975-1976 identify the instances of poor performance construction and installation works. In the future, they could lead to emergency situations at a nuclear plant. In the summer of 1975 at the site of installation of radioactive waste storage were allowed marriage, representing a threat to the environment.
At the same time, agents found unacceptable deviations from the project when installing the compensator pressure in the reactor shaft. The accident was averted. In February 1976, the Agency received information about the delivery of the Chernobyl unserviceable pipes for circulating conduit produced at Kurakhovskaya non-mechanical plant in the Donbass. According��estouy draw conclusions and was not done. Defective products were sent regularly to the construction site in subsequent years.
On the basis of reports by the KGB was regularly made reports, which report in detail about the shortage of building materials and components, the lack of qualification of the workers. Party organs and Assembly trust “Yuzhteploenergomontazh” received information about violations of technological standards, leading to the appearance of fistulas, fractures and faults in equipment. According to declassified records, the failure of the plan to launch the first power unit at the beginning of 1976 was caused by the shortage and low efficiency workers, as well as the lack of equipment.
In numerous spetsialnyh KGB to higher authorities about the continuing violations of the norms, standards and regulations construction and operation of the Chernobyl NPP, it was also about the lack of requirements of the Directorate of plant to radiation safety.
Among the published documents — accident reports that occurred prior to April 1986. At a nuclear power plant from 1971 to 1981, there were 29 accidents. Eight of them were the fault of the technical staff. Describing spetsialnyh and memoranda of accidents during the construction of the second unit, KGB officers had pointed out the mistakes of engineers in the calculations, as well as the negligence of the builders.
evidence that “some leaders are deliberately trying to gross violations of technological standards of construction, thinking only about how quickly to pass the objects, not caring about their future and the possible tragic consequences,” prompted the chief of the Chernobyl Department of the KGB, Viktor Klochko during 1978-1979 to send disturbing reports to Kiev. After receiving the information of special services of the first Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist party Vladimir Shcherbitsky, a decision was taken about creation of the Commission to remedy the situation. However, the message of the KGB with calls to “take measures of party influence” often left without proper attention.
One of the first events that indicate the possibility of technological catastrophe that occurred in February 1979. Then due triggering automatic protection “AZ-5” was abnormally terminated first unit. The reason was the disconnection of the main circulation pumps supplying water to cool the reactor. Wine was assigned to the staff of the Leningrad design Institute, which laid in the documentation technically imperfect drainage device.
in the Summer of 1979, the KGB received operational data about the emergency situation in the shop chemical water treatment. It was the result of poor performance of waterproofing works. Despite the potentially about��asnow the situation, the party leadership has not responded properly to the incident.
During counter-intelligence activities in 1984 the KGB has accumulated information about the presence of design defects and the extremely low level of safety of nuclear reactor RBMK-1000. The state security organs was informed about the serious shortcomings in the organization and carrying out repair work at Chernobyl. After it became clear that the adopted measures will not be able to prevent the threat of an accident on the third unit, the head of the sixth Department of the KGB of the USSR, Leonid Bykhov briefed on the situation, the Ministry of energy of the USSR. As time has shown, to prevent the potential risks failed.
After the accident of 26 April 1986 disaster of the KGB considered the version that the explosion of the reactor occurred because of sabotage. However, carefully conducted the investigation allowed by the beginning of may to question the version of subversive act.
examination of the destruction and the intelligence also confirmed the facts of the terrorist attack on the facility. Two weeks later, investigate all circumstances decisive role in the Chernobyl tragedy began to call the human factor.
In the process of operational activities of the KGB have repeatedly informed party and Soviet bodies about the shortcomings in the organization of works on liquidation of consequences of the accident. In the materials indicated the lack of necessary clothing, equipment and equipment for rescuers, the poor state of the sanitary washing items, illiteracy population of an iodine prophylaxis, inadequate living conditions evacuees and liquidators. The radiation situation during liquidation of consequences of Chernobyl catastrophe were not well understood. According to declassified materials, even after the tragedy of the control panels of nuclear power plants for some time has not been controlled.
Alexander Nepogodin
