The Russian military is deploying armaments in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone to prevent Ukraine from retaliating. According to Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Energy, Yaroslav Demchenkov, a similar scenario is likely to occur at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power facility.
In an essay in Ukrayinska Pravda, he remarked, "We are particularly concerned about active hostilities in Voznesensk, near the Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power station." For the first time in world history, he said, a large-scale war is being fought in a country with over a dozen nuclear reactors and thousands of tonnes of extremely hazardous spent nuclear material.
Ukraine has 15 nuclear power plants, including six at Zaporizhzhya (6,000 MW), Europe's largest nuclear power station, which also contains a spent nuclear fuel storage facility.
The Russian army took control of the Zaporozhye nuclear power station on March 4. The occupiers have control of the administrative buildings as well as the access to the station, it said.
"The occupying forces are known to have taken control of the Chernobyl and Zaporozhye nuclear power plants. This is a form of nuclear terrorism "Demchenkov said. The enemy clearly aims to capture all important energy infrastructure, Ukraine's Minister said. And to destabilise the energy grid, which continues to work and provide electricity to Ukrainians despite intense hostilities and substantial damage.
None of Ukraine's nuclear power stations are meant to be in the middle of a conflict, and radioactive releases from current nuclear power reactors might exceed Chernobyl and Fukushima emissions.
