ISW: Russia is strengthening its presence and control over Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Photo: Energoatom
Reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Ukraine indicate an increasing presence of Russia and its exclusive control over the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) outlined in a report that Ukraine has stated that the Russian occupation of ZNPP has led to equipment malfunctions and technical failures, posing a threat to the station's safety, Rubryka reports.
On November 16, the national nuclear energy company "Energoatom" reported that the Russians had placed the 5th power unit of the temporarily occupied plant in a "hot" state, resulting in a leakage of boric acid solution into all reactor's steam generators.
Energoatom revealed that the incompetence of the Russian authorities at the nuclear plant in transitioning reactors from "cold shutdown" to "hot" led to the leakage of radioactive coolant from the first to the second circuit of reactor No. 4 and a similar situation with reactor No. 6.
Incompetent actions by Russia also caused the temporary shutdown of reactor No. 6 on November 14, forcing the reactor to switch to emergency diesel generators.
Energoatom stated that the equipment at ZNPP is constantly degrading, and the frequency of such dangerous incidents is increasing.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not commented on these incidents yet. However, on November 13, it expressed concern about the extent and effectiveness of the technical maintenance of the plant's safety systems and its ability to control its operations.
"Reports from Ukraine and the IAEA indicate that Russia's presence and exclusive control over ZNPP are increasing, suggesting that similar failures may intensify under ongoing Russian occupation," said ISW analysts.
Earlier, Rubryka reported that the occupation administration of Zaporizhzhia NPP plans to conduct emergency drills in November — the first since the power plant was seized in early March 2022.
Background on the Zaporizhzhia NPP situation
The Russian occupying forces seized the Zaporizhzhia NPP at the beginning of the full-scale invasion on March 4, 2022. Aggressors not only violate the station's operational regime but also use storage facilities for storing equipment and deploying military personnel.
Throughout the occupation, the station has been disconnected from the power systems of Ukraine several times.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned of the risk of a terrorist attack at the station. Minister of Energy Herman Halushchenko stated that Russia could create conditions leading to a nuclear incident after the de-occupation of Zaporizhzhia NPP by Ukrainian defenders.
Moreover, the IAEA confirmed the presence of mines at the Zaporizhzhia NPP installed by the occupiers earlier.
The General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also approved a resolution for the immediate return of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under full control of Ukraine.
Since the Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia NPP began, there have been seven complete blackouts at the facility.
