40 minutes underwater at -15°C. How five divers rescued Kyiv after the shelling of a thermal power plant

It is -15°C outside, the temperature under water is about +2°C. Flooded shafts in one of Kyiv's thermal power plants, damaged by a missile strike. In the complete darkness of a cramped space of one and a half by one and a half meters, five divers took turns working in extremely difficult conditions for six days to bring light back to people's homes. Each dive lasts only about 40 minutes underwater, and neither their bodies nor their equipment can take much more.During an underwater operation, divers under the supervision of a robot restored a thermal power plant damaged by the Russians using a hammer and chisel LIGA.net said Andriy Vlasenko, head of Ukraine's only highly complex underwater operations group.Next is a direct speech."The situation was critical". Why divers from Cherkasy were involved in the workThe shelling that damaged the system occurred on the night of January 9 – it was very heavy. One of the thermal power plants in the capital was hit. The strike damaged the hydraulic structure that cooled the CHP units.Rescuers in Kyiv region began pumping out water from the damaged waterworks that were flooding the basement.It quickly became clear that the water would not stop coming – the filtration due to the damage was very strong.Our group is stationed in Cherkasy. This is a group of special operations of increased complexity on water bodies. Previously, we were engaged in searching for drowned people, rescue operations, and pyrotechnic tasks to detect explosive devices. Now we have added hydraulic structures, which is a new area of work. In fact, our group is the only one operating in Ukraine. A similar group is still being formed in Odesa, but we are currently working.It became clear that the problem in Kyiv could not be solved with pumps and that the situation was critical.Over the weekend, we got the order to prepare, and on Monday at four in the morning we left for Kyiv.We were met at the site by the head of the CHPP and the chief engineer. They showed us the diagrams, explained what was damaged, and we received a technical assignment.The operation was far from simple. It was unusual and new.There were eight of us in total, five of whom were divers."First, we launched a robot into the mine." How the restoration work was carried outUpon arrival, we first launched a robot into the mine. It was used to determine the extent of damage and risks to divers. After that, we decided that it was safe to work, and the diving descents began. All five of us took turns, including me.The air temperature was -15°C and the water temperature was about +2°C. This is a critically low temperature. A diver can work in such water for 40 minutes to an hour. No more.Temperature has a great impact on diving equipment because it is metal. If it gets too cold, it can go into emergency mode. That's why we set up a frame tent heated by a gas cylinder right above the well, above the entrance to the mine.How do you feel when you enter the water in such conditions? It's cold to change clothes, but when you realize that the task is critically important and should have been completed yesterday, you simply ignore these obstacles. Moreover, we were all trained, experienced divers who had been working under the ice for years.We had some doubts that the operation might fail. The building's construction dates back to the 1950s, everything is underground, and it was difficult to assess the extent of the damage. But at the beginning of the work, it became clear that water filtration was decreasing, and we would manage.The concrete reinforced structure was damaged. Due to seismic vibrations after the shelling, cracks appeared and sinks opened in the concrete. Through them, water got into the basement, where the CHP units are located.Such damage can only be repaired physically. We used special padding, which was hammered into the cracks with a hammer and chisel. Our task was to reduce water filtration as much as possible.The work lasted six days. Not because of the cold. It was just that the amount of damage was very large. Some cracks had to be sealed in three layers. In addition, air raid warnings interfered with the work – when there was a threat, we had to go to the surface. In addition, there was a strong current, damage to CHP systems, and lack of visibility.So every day we performed the same task, but due to the circumstances it was extended in time. Whenever we had the opportunity, we worked. In total, we had about 7-8 hours of pure downhill time every day.The most difficult part of this work is the cramped conditions. The hydraulic structure is about one and a half by one and a half meters. Very limited space. Flooded mines, wells... This was the main factor that slowed down the diving work.In the conditions we were working in, acoustic communication did not work. It was also not possible to use standard communication with the diver via a signal cord.Therefore, a robot was constantly near the diver to monitor his physiological and psychophysiological state.This is a remotely operated underwater vehicle. It transmits video to the surface in real time. The robot did not perform any work; it was used solely to monitor the condition of people working underwater.We saw whether the equipment was failing, whether the diving equipment was starting to boil, whether the diver was not nervous, and whether he was generally doing well underwater. We couldn't communicate with the diver, we just watched his condition. If he is fine, everyone on the surface is calm, there is no need to pull the diver out by the signal rope physically, by force.This was probably the third time we used this robot. Before that, we also worked on hydraulic structures after the enemy aggression, where we also used similar robots. A lot of this equipment was provided by foreign patrons."On the fifth day, we thought it was over." How the CHPP repair was completedWhen we saw that the filtering was steadily decreasing, we realized that the work was almost complete.On the fifth day, we worked until eight in the evening, thinking that was it. On the sixth day, we came for an audit and had to do some more work.It was morally satisfying to finish this work. We spent the night in the same conditions as the people of Kyiv, without light and heat. We hoped that our work would at least minimally help people feel comfortable.But in general, our work is still ongoing – we are currently working on the restoration of another important facility for the capital.Read alsoSurviving the frost. What will happen to Kyiv after the next Russian attack?