Russian forces illegally detained and tortured over 200 civilians in Enerhodar – Truth Hounds

According to human rights defenders, the first detentions began in March 2022. Between March 10 and 15, Russian-installed authorities and military began approaching Ukrainian employees of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and summoning some of them for interviews, in fact, for interrogation.

"The occupiers started to search for pro-Ukrainian people at the station itself. They found out about pro-Ukrainian people through pressure. Then they started to look for those who had weapons, who even indirectly took part in the defense of the city, in territorial defense. They came to detain people directly at the station, if they were nuclear workers, and detained them at work," said one of the employees of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

Truth Hounds documented at least two cases of such interviews with plant personnel at the end of March 2022 and at least 11 similar incidents by mid-September 2022.

At the end of May 2022, Russian-installed authorities intensified abductions and detentions of civilians in Enerhodar after an assassination attempt on a collaborator – the Russian-appointed mayor of the city, Andrei Shevchuk.

At the end of September 2022, after the Russian pseudo-referendum in Enerhodar, the number of abductions, detentions, as well as cases of inhuman treatment and torture of civilians, including Zaporizhzhia NPP personnel, sharply increased.

The organization Truth Hounds found that Russian forces created at least seven places of illegal detention in Enerhodar and the surrounding areas.

Russian forces also illegally held in custody at least 226 residents of Enerhodar and employees of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, among them:

• 66 participants in the resistance to the Russian occupation of Enerhodar;

• Six former service members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;

• Three relatives of service members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;

• 78 Ukrainian employees of the Zaporizhzhia NPP;

• 11 weapons owners;

• 102 ordinary civilian residents of Enerhodar, including entrepreneurs.

Some individuals from this list held multiple statuses simultaneously (for example, civilian, NPP employee, and participant in the resistance to the occupation).

According to human rights defenders, Ukrainians were kept in overcrowded places of detention, where prisoners were physically and psychologically tortured to obtain information, punish dissent, intimidate, force confessions, and cooperation.

Russian forces deprived detainees of food, water, and medical assistance. Beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence, mock executions, and threats to the families of detainees were standard practices of the Russians.

During interrogations, Russian forces often tried to obtain information about resistance activities, the presence of weapons, and connections with Ukrainian military personnel. Some detainees were forced to sign a cooperation agreement or a contract with Rosatom, and many detainees were filmed on video making false statements, praising Russian forces, or discrediting Ukraine for propaganda purposes.

The Truth Hounds study shows that such abuses were widespread and systematic actions directed against the civilian population. In addition, the attacks were deliberately aimed at certified personnel and specialists with unique technical skills necessary for the uninterrupted operation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP reactor.

This created risks for the safe functioning of the plant and increased the possibility of an accident.

In the conclusions of the report, Truth Hounds appeals to foreign governments to stop cooperating with Rosatom and to impose sanctions on the company for its role in persecuting Ukrainians in Enerhodar, and to judicial authorities to investigate crimes against Ukrainians, including the role of Rosatom.

Occupation of Zaporizhzhia NPP

Russian forces occupied the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the city of Enerhodar during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in March 2022.

Since then, they have systematically violated the rules of safe operation of the nuclear facility, creating a constant threat of a man-made disaster. On the plant's territory, they deployed military equipment and personnel.

Energoatom stated that the Zaporizhzhia NPP cannot yet be put into operation. Currently, its technical condition does not permit it.

On September 17 of this year, an IAEA team of experts recorded an incident at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Several shells exploded on the territory in proximity to the plant.

The Agency noted that six out of seven key pillars of nuclear safety at the plant have been violated.

Russia is trying to shift responsibility for nuclear safety violations onto Ukraine.

Russia is illegally holding 13 employees of the Zaporizhzhia NPP in the temporarily occupied territories.