Russian forces turn Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant into military base

Oleh Korikov, acting head of Ukraine's State Nuclear Regulation Inspection, said this at a media briefing.

“As of today, the Zaporizhzhia NPP has effectively turned from a producer of electricity into a consumer. This is all due to the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP by the invading Russian forces. All 6 power units are stopped. But the plant receives electricity from Ukraine's energy system. Electricity is needed for the safety systems to work, including those that provide residual heat removal from nuclear fuel,” Korikov said. 

The head of the nuclear agency said that the Russian forces actually turned the Zaporizhzhia NPP into a military and repair base, where technicians repair equipment: “These actions are absolutely unacceptable.”

Also, currently the Russian forces are trying to appoint a fake maintenance organization, which is not recognized by any country.

The Russians continue their attempts to connect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to the Russian energy system.

“Is it possible to connect the Zaporizhzhia NPP to the Russian power system? We have already seen these attempts, they were unsuccessful and ended in nothing. Therefore, we are convinced that all further attempts by the Russian forces to actually steal the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the electricity it can produce will also lead to nothing. In addition, international organizations - the IAEA and the UN - in their resolutions repeatedly state that the Zaporizhzhia NPP is Ukrainian property, and the electricity it produces and can produce is also Ukrainian,” Korikov added.