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Over the weekend, Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — the largest such plant in Europe — came under fire. Who was behind it remains unclear: Ukraine and Russia blame each other for the attacks. What is clear, is that the strikes are coming nearer to and have already damaged some critical parts of the sprawling nuclear complex.
An NPR analysis of satellite imagery and posts to Twitter, Telegram and YouTube over the past month show how an escalating conflict at the plant is drawing ever closer to critical safety systems and radioactive materials, ratcheting up the chance of a nuclear accident.
Satellite imagery from the company Planet taken in early July and over the weekend shows Russian troops positioned inside the plant perimeter, along with some of the damage caused by military strikes around the nuclear facility. The fighting comes at a time when Russia is attempting to formally annex the Zaporizhzhia region, where the plant is located. Analysis from the Institute for the Study of War suggests that the renewed nuclear tensions coincide with the United States delivering heavy weapons to Ukraine, which has used them to re-take significant portions of southern Ukraine all summer.
Over the weekend the International Atomic Energy Agency director general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, warned that the situation at the power station could spiral out of control.
„Military action jeopardizing the safety and security of the Zaporizhzya nuclear power plant is completely unacceptable and must be avoided at all costs,“ he said in a statement. „I strongly and urgently appeal to all parties to exercise the utmost restraint in the vicinity of this important nuclear facility, with its six reactors.“Early July: A satellite image shows Russian forces were encamped within the plant perimeter
Russian troops took the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in early March in what experts described as a risky and reckless assault. Since then, the Russian military has been in firm control of the facility’s six reactors, which continue to be operated by Ukrainian staff.
A satellite image taken on July 3 by Planet shows roughly a dozen military vehicles parked near some administrative buildings. The Russians also erected several large tents in a nearby lot, presumably to house the troops tasked with protecting the plant.
Physically stationing Russian troops inside the plant will undoubtedly affect operations, according to Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a watchdog group. „It puts pressure on the Ukrainian staff at the plant,“ he says.
Dmytro Orlov, the exiled mayor of Enerhodar, the town where the power plant stands, said on Ukrainian television that workers‘ morale is at an all-time low, especially after Russian soldiers reportedly beat an employee to death in July.Late July: That Russian encampment became a target for Ukrainian forces
On July 22, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s intelligence wing tweeted a video of an apparent drone strike on the encampment. The video showed an explosion near the tents, which caused dozens of Russian troops to flee. The video then shows the tents on fire. The Ukrainian ministry claimed that the kamikaze drone injured 12 soldiers and killed three others.
