LONDON, July 25, 2025 — Armenia’s Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, located just 40 kilometers from the capital Yerevan, poses a severe risk of catastrophic failure, according to a recent report by the Daily Mail. Built during the Soviet era and situated in a seismically active zone, the plant is being described by experts as a “ticking time bomb” and “Chernobyl waiting to happen.”
The article highlights that the plant, operational since 1976, supplies around 40% of Armenia’s electricity through its two aging reactors. However, after the devastating 1988 Spitak earthquake, Metsamor was deemed structurally compromised, and experts warn that another seismic event could trigger a disaster.
Concerns center around the outdated Soviet technology still in use, crumbling infrastructure, and worn-down concrete reactor walls. Experts cited by the Daily Mail emphasize that the risk is not only to Armenia, but also to neighboring countries in Europe and the South Caucasus.
“If Metsamor suffers an accident, it would spell the end for Armenia,” one expert noted grimly.
The facility remains under the support of Russia’s state nuclear agency, Rosatom, which reportedly plans to modernize one of the plant’s reactors. However, this project is expected to cost Armenian taxpayers over $65 million — and there are growing doubts about whether Moscow will fulfill its 2023 modernization agreement signed with Yerevan.
The article concludes that Metsamor’s continued operation represents a looming regional security threat, and urgent international attention may be required to avert a nuclear catastrophe.
