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Could a flooded Donbas mine trigger disaster?
Summary
A look back at Ukraine's appeal for international help over a mine where a nuclear device was tested in the 1970s.
What happens if a mine that once hosted a nuclear test is allowed to flood? On 19 April 2018, Ukrainian ecology minister Ostap Semerak warned of a major nuclear disaster if pro-Russia separatists went ahead with a plan to flood a mine in Donbas where a small nuclear weapon was tested in the 1970s.
Semerak appealed for international assistance to prevent the flooding. The warning was reported as part of the continuing war in Donbas.
A separate Russian move
Elsewhere, security tensions were also running high. On 14 April 2018, Russia called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, following the bombing of Damascus and Homs, and said it was considering supplying S-300 missile systems to Syria.
