The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is the largest nuclear power station in Europe with the installed power capacity of 6 GW (6000 MW), which is enough to provide electricity tosuch European countries as Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova and Croatia.
In March 2022, at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia NPP was captured by Russian troops and since then, it has remained under their control. Since September 2022, all six power units have been in a “cold shutdown” mode, thus, they are not generating energy and do notcontain fuel. But this does not mean that no work is being donethere.
Even when reactors are shut down, spent nuclear fuel continues to generate heat. Without cooling, overheating could happen, which could lead to serious consequences, like at Chernobyl or Fukushima. Intermittent rocket fire frequently cuts off the electricity supply. There are diesel-powered back-up generators, but no one is sure how much diesel remains on site. According to the head of Energoatom NNEGC, Viktor Kotin, nuclear fuel on site has exceeded its expiration date. In recent years, the American Westinghouse has been provided the major part of it.
For Russia, to take control of the Zaporizhzhia NPP means to reach several strategic goals. The first goal is nuclear (man-made) blackmail, which Moscow uses as an important argument in negotiations. The second goal is to use the station for military purposes, including placing personnel and heavy equipment near power units and spent nuclear fuel storage facilities, making it impossible for Ukrainian Armed Forces to strike the plant. The latest goal is the integration of the station into the Russian energy grid to provide electricity to the occupied territories, including Crimea annexed in 2014.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as part of Moscow’s global campaign to destroy Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is also serious concern. Since February 24, 2024, Ukraine has experienced more than 5,000 attacks on its energy infrastructure by Russia. These attacks are aimed at undermining the economic and social stability of the country and forcing civilians to surrender, following theprinciple of “the best way to defeat the enemy is to defeat in mind first”, which emphasizes psychological influence and intimidation strategy.
Before the military invasion, 11 thousand people worked at Zaporizhzhia NPP. There are now around 4,000 workers there – the remainder of the original employees joined by new hires, many of whom lack technical qualifications, according to Kotin. This is quite logically explained by the fact that in Russia there is a lack of appropriate specialist staff which do not want to work near the front line and at an annexed Ukrainian facility. For this reason, drone operators are trained at the station and these drones are launched from its territory, as the station is controlled by persons whose competence is under doubt.
The need for international intervention and increased pressure on Russia is becoming obvious. The use of nuclear facilities for military purposes poses a threat not only to Ukraine, but to the entire world. In this context, the absence of the IAEA Director General at the Summit in Switzerland, despite the nuclear and energy agenda there, is a concern. The IAEA, as the leading international organization in the field of nuclear safety, should be actively involved in solving such problems.
