Russia manipulates IAEA mission to conceal real situation at Zaporizhzhia NPP – SPRAVDI
Russia is conducting disinformation campaigns around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in order to hide its crimes or shift responsibility for them onto Ukraine, manipulating the IAEA mission and seeking to "normalize" the seizure of the Ukrainian plant.
The Center for Strategic Communications SPRAVDI stated this in an article, marking the fourth anniversary of Russia's occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, Ukrinform reports.
"In order to conceal all of its crimes – or to shift responsibility for them and for potential risks onto Ukraine – Russia constantly runs disinformation campaigns. During these campaigns, Ukraine is accused of 'shelling' the ZNPP and of allegedly attempting to provoke a nuclear incident, among other fabrications," the publication says.
At the same time, Russian occupiers are trying to manipulate the IAEA mission to hide the real state of affairs at the plant. They do not grant full access to power units and special technical premises and facilities, which complicates the assessment of the actual safety situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP.
In particular, ahead of visits by IAEA experts and the agency's Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, the occupiers hastily "stage the scenery." For example, military equipment is removed from the plant at night and temporarily relocated to Enerhodar. Even after that, IAEA experts are allowed to inspect the plant only according to a pre-agreed plan and route.
In addition, Russia regularly obstructs the rotation of IAEA experts. Initially, the Russians delay agreeing on the location and time of the rotation in the zone where the line between Ukrainian-controlled territory and the temporarily occupied area is crossed. However, about an hour before it is to begin, Russia starts shelling in that area. The occupiers do this not only to pressure IAEA experts but also for political calculation.
"Through such provocations, Russia compels the IAEA to violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine by routing its experts to the ZNPP through temporarily occupied territories. This is a clear violation of Ukrainian law and international legal norms — one that Russia is deliberately pushing the Agency's staff to commit. Moscow needs this in order to gradually legitimize the seizure of Ukrainian lands and to advance, step by step, the “normalization” of the occupation," the Center for Strategic Communications states.
In addition, Russian troops carry out systematic torture, killings, and repression against Zaporizhzhia NPP employees in order to force Ukrainian nuclear workers to cooperate. Before the occupation, about 11,000 people worked at the plant; now about 4,000 remain. The Zaporizhzhia NPP has significant technical differences from Russian nuclear plants, making it very difficult to replace Ukrainian specialists. As a result, the Russians constantly pressure staff, forcing employees to obtain Russian citizenship and sign contracts with Rosatom.
Despite the fact that all six power units are shut down, Russia has not abandoned its absurd plans to restart them, which poses obvious risks.
The occupiers have also turned the Zaporizhzhia NPP into a military base and a training ground for drone operators.
"The occupiers' attempts to operate the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant constitute a long list of crimes that expose the entire European continent to the risk of a nuclear accident with unpredictable consequences… For this reason, the restoration of Ukraine's full control over the plant carries a twofold significance. First, it would mean the restoration of justice — which is the foundation of a stable peace. Second, it is a matter of restoring nuclear safety at the ZNPP, which only Ukraine can guarantee," the Center emphasized.
As Ukrinform previously reported, the Zaporizhzhia NPP has been under Russian occupation since March 4, 2022. The plant has completely stopped generating electricity. Russian troops and military equipment are stationed at the nuclear facility. Due to shelling, external power lines supplying the plant have been damaged multiple times.
In June 2023, Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. Due to the destruction of the Kakhovka Reservoir, the Zaporizhzhia NPP now has enough water for cooling only while operating in cold shutdown mode.
Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov