Russian troops launch drones from Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, store weapons on-site
Illustrative photo: Russians launch drones from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (GettyImages)
Russian troops are using the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as a military facility, placing equipment directly next to nuclear reactors and launching drones from there across Ukraine, according to Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Fresh footage from reconnaissance drone
According to Voloshyn, this is video footage obtained from a reconnaissance drone. The footage clearly shows Russian military equipment located close to the nuclear reactors of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Such actions are a gross violation of international humanitarian law, which expressly prohibits the use of nuclear power plants for military purposes.
ZNPP as shield from strikes
Voloshyn stresses that the Russians are deliberately hiding their equipment on the territory of the station, knowing that Ukraine will not launch fire strikes on a nuclear facility.
In this way, the Russian troops are using the ZNPP as cover for their forces.
Russian drone training ground and strikes on Zaporizhzhia
According to available information, the Russian military has also turned the territory and facilities of the Zaporizhzhia NPP into a training ground for drone operators.
"There is even evidence that Russians carried out several MLRS strikes on Zaporizhzhia from ZNPP," he says.
Russian drone launches on Ukraine
In a comment to RBC-Ukraine, the spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces clarifies that Russians also regularly launch drones on unoccupied Ukrainian regions from the territory of the ZNPP.
He provides an additional photo showing Russia's weapons and military equipment located on the territory of the nuclear power plant, marked in red.
Photo: Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
Situation at ZNPP
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been under the control of Russian forces since March 2022. Since then, Russia has repeatedly attempted to legalize its control of the facility, ignoring international law.
Experts view Rostekhnadzor's latest moves as yet another element of nuclear blackmail, which increases security risks not only for the region but for the entire world.
At the same time, as part of peace initiatives, the United States has proposed a model for joint management of the Zaporizhzhia NPP involving Ukraine, Russia, and the US. At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that such a format is unfair.
On November 19, Ukraine restored power to the occupied ZNPP after the line was damaged by Russian strikes. Before that, the station had been completely without power ten times.
However, on December 6, the ZNPP again lost its external power supply. Currently, the facility is connected to only one external line, which continues to pose a serious threat to nuclear safety.
At the end of December, Ukraine and Russia reached an agreement on a local ceasefire in the area of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, which allowed repairs to begin on the damaged power line.
