The situation around the Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhia, which is occupied by Russian troops, is said to be getting worse. Russia is apparently evacuating employees and stationing weapons at the site. The Ukrainian operator warns of unforeseeable consequences.
The impending offensive by the Ukrainian armed forces has a massive impact on the security of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which is occupied by Russian troops. The reason is the evacuation of Akw employees by the Russians. The employees live mainly in the city of Enerhodar in the immediate vicinity of the nuclear power plant: “According to our information, 7,000 people are to be evacuated out of concern that Ukraine will recapture them,” Petro Kotin, head of the Ukrainian operating company Energoatom, told Deutschlandfunk.
A large proportion of the residents work at the plant and it is not clear how many of them remain to continue operating the plant. “Security is declining,” Kotin warned. The nuclear power plant is in a very serious condition, also because the Russians stole a lot of material and technology. The Secretary General of the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA, Rafael Grossi, had already warned of dramatic consequences at the weekend. According to Grossi, the situation is “increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous”. He said: “We must act now to avoid a serious nuclear accident and its consequences for the population and the environment.”
Ukraine maintains contact with employees in Zaporizhia
Kotin emphasized that he and his agency are in contact with the approximately 2,000 employees who have not concluded employment contracts with the Russian operator in order to influence the situation on site. However, he could not say what condition the Akw is actually in. Kotin apparently assumes that Zaporizhia will soon fall back into Ukrainian hands. “I can’t tell you what condition we’ll get the nuclear vehicle back in,” he said, but “there’s a lot to fix.”
The fact that the power supply to the reactors broke down six times last year and the emergency power generators had to step in also shows how fragile the situation is, Kotin reported.
The stationed weapons are an additional concern
The weapons that the Russians have stationed on the nuclear site are of additional concern. Kotin told the Funke media group that Russian troops in Zaporizhia stationed automatic weapons on the roofs of the six reactor buildings. That alone is strictly forbidden. In addition, the Russian army would have mined the area around the nuclear plant in anticipation of a Ukrainian offensive. “The occupiers have laid many land mines in the periphery and on the site of the power plant,” said Kotin of the Funke group. “There are many animals there, foxes, wild boars and dogs, so there are always explosions that cause damage.” The information cannot be verified.
Before the start of the war on February 24, 2023, 55 percent of Ukraine’s total electricity consumption depended on the six reactor blocks of the nuclear plant in southern Ukraine. Should the power plant fall back into Ukrainian hands, it would be a great success for the country. The country is dependent on the electricity from the nuclear power plant. All blocks are currently shut down and are being provisionally supplied with electricity from Ukraine. In peacetime, up to 12,000 people who lived in Enerhodar work on the extensive site.
Sources: “”, “”, “”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
