Russians set fire to ZNPP cooling towers, provocation possible
Photo: Russians staged a provocation at ZNPP (wikimedia.org Ralf1969)
Residents of Nikopol noticed a fire in one of the cooling towers of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on the occupied bank of the former Kakhovka reservoir. This could be a Russian provocation, according to Yevhen Yevtushenko, head of the Nikopol district military administration.
According to unofficial information from sources on the opposite bank, the Russians set fire to large quantities of car tires in the cooling tower.
"Perhaps this is a provocation or an attempt to create panic in the settlements on the right bank of the former reservoir," Yevtushenko says.
He stressed that ZNPP is operating as normal as possible under the Russian occupation and called on residents of the Nikopol district to calm down.
ZNPP cooling towers are located on the cooling basin, at a considerable distance from the nuclear power plant's power units. These are structures for cooling water with atmospheric air.
Russian occupation of ZNPP
Zaporizhzhia NPP has been under Russian occupation since 3 March 2022. The plant is illegally operated by Russia's Rosatom but is currently not generating electricity.
From time to time, the Russian army arranges provocations at ZNPP. Sometimes the Russians damage power lines that are critical for the operation of the plant with shelling, sometimes they launch attack drones over the plant. In addition, Russians keep their troops and military equipment on the territory of the nuclear power plant.
Currently, the International Atomic Energy Agency mission is on the territory of ZNPP. IAEA observers have recently reported fires near the plant, warning that this is complicating the situation there.
