Energoatom: Liberation, not occupation, is only way to safeguard Zaporizhzhia Power Plant

Any discussions about the “relaunch” of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) reactors under Russian state-owned Rosatom’s control are a direct violation of nuclear and radiation safety standards, Energoatom, the Ukrainian state-owned nuclear company, has stated. 

This comes amid Russia’s threats to restart the plant and connect it to its power grid, potentially isolating it from Ukraine’s grid. 

“The operating license for ZNPP belongs to its legitimate operator, JSC ‘NAEK Energoatom,’ and only Ukrainian specialists have the right and competence to manage the plant,” the company said.

Further occupation of ZNPP is “absolutely unacceptable,” the statement continued.

“The technical condition of the ZNPP and the circumstances created by the occupiers provide sufficient grounds to assert that restarting the plant in its current state is technically impossible,” Energoatom said.

Under Russian occupation since March 22, the plant’s critical safety systems have deteriorated since. 

“The lack of proper maintenance, violations of repair schedules, lack of access to original spare parts, and the inability to carry out full inspections have caused critical equipment degradation and created conditions for potential emergency situations,” Energoatom said.

The presence of Russian armed forces and military equipment on the premises, as well as the continued militarization of the plant and surrounding occupied areas, are key risk factors that cannot be ignored.

“The only way to restore safety at ZNPP is through its liberation and the return of the plant under the control of its legitimate operator,” Energoatom said.

Russia has again raised the issue of restarting the ZNPP, which could result in catastrophic consequences for nuclear and radiation safety, not only for Ukraine but for the entire continent, as reported by Ekonomichna Pravda.