WSJ: Russian Army turns Ukraine’s largest nuclear plant into a military base

The Russian Army has turned the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant into a military base and uses it as a shield. On the territory of the station, the troops placed MLRS Smerch and Grad, as well as tanks and armoured personnel carriers.

The Russian Armed Forces have turned Europe’s largest Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant into a military garrison. This poses a threat to the facility and all NPP employees, The Wall Street Journal reported on July 6, citing nuclear power plant workers. 

Thus, according to workers at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, in March, after seizing the facility, more than 500 Russian soldiers deployed heavy artillery batteries on its territory and planted anti-personnel mines along the reservoir, the water from which cools six reactors. The positions of the Ukrainian army are literally a few kilometres from the nuclear power plant on the opposite bank of the Dnieper, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces cannot attack the invaders, fearing to damage nuclear reactors.

“They keep it as a base for their artillery. They understand that Ukraine will not respond to their attacks from the nuclear power plant,” said one European official who is in Ukraine.

In addition, senior Rosatom technicians have set up a base in a guarded bunker under the station and say they have come here to provide advice.

Plant employees and their families fear that the growing militarization of ZNPP could lead to another nuclear disaster.

“The Russian occupiers keep NPP employees in fear, some of them are taken hostage in order to later demand a ransom,” the WSJ writes.

Now, according to the publication, out of 11 thousand employees, more than 40 people are in captivity.

The WSJ notes that last week monitoring data stopped coming from the station to the IAEA once again for three days.

Recall that since most of the employees of the Zaporizhzhya NPP refuse to cooperate with the invaders, the Russians bring employees of Rosenergoatom to the station.