Staff at the captured nuclear power station in Zaporizhzhia have described being held at gunpoint while Russian troops utilize the facility as a military base.
Since early March, invading forces have taken the facility, the largest nuclear plant in Europe. However, it’s still operated by Ukrainian personnel.
Recently, Moscow has been accused of using the plant as a “shield” from which its troops launch rockets at nearby locations.
And on Thursday, additional shelling was reported, and the UN chief issued a fresh warning that combat near the nuclear complex may “lead to calamity.”
The southern city of Nikopol is one of the most deadly vantage locations in Ukraine.
From the Dnipro River’s banks, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power facility is visible 10 miles across the water.
In the last two weeks, up to 120 rockets have been fired in a single night at this location.
They are coming from the city of Enerhodar, where the facility is located.
Enerhodar and the power plant have both come under heavy fire.
The UN’s nuclear watchdog asserts there is a “serious risk of nuclear catastrophe” if the conflict continues and inspectors are denied entry.
Ukraine and Russia are both at fault. The situation is unclear, but the dangers are clear.
Texting us, Svitlana explains, “My workday is a constant source of anxiety.”
She and her coworker Mykola can only use Russian SIM cards at this time, and the connection is extremely weak. We are not using their real names to protect their privacy.
Svitlana states, “I cannot work like I once did.” “It has been so unsafe that I have not been able to go to work for the past week.
“On Saturday, shelling of the nitrogen-oxygen station triggered an explosion. The folks working there miraculously survived.”
A second resident of Energodar informs us that shop and pharmacy prices are now four times more than in Ukraine-controlled areas and that doctors are in short supply. The majority of ATMs are also closed.
Svitlana, who has worked at the company for many years, said that shells have been dropping daily nearby.
She says, “The psychological position is challenging.” Soldiers carry weapons everywhere they go, and everyone is held at gunpoint.
Russia is allegedly stationing approximately 500 soldiers there. Recent footage has shown military vehicles driving inside, and Svitlana has little doubt that the building is being used as a military base.
She states, “Every day they travel back and forth in their military vehicles.”
They positioned their military equipment very next to the station buildings so that Ukrainian armed troops could not attack.
A message from Mykola states, “The staff is currently Russian hostages.”
“They disabled the Internet, leaving just landline phones, and only one dining area is stocked with food. They transformed the others into bases.”
Ukraine is anxious Russia has begun bombarding the territory it holds in an attempt to construct a false narrative, such as “Ukraine is assaulting you; therefore, you should vote to join Russia so we can establish a foothold and protect you.”
The Zaporizhzhia region’s Moscow-appointed legislators have just signed an order for an upcoming referendum. In the past, Russia has conducted fraudulent elections, such as in 2014’s Crimea annexation.
Mykola continues: “Access to all rooftops is restricted; there, observation stations were constructed. The training facility doubled as their barracks.
Increasingly, employees are kidnapped as they exit their shift at the security gate.
It is unknown why the kidnapping occurs, but locals describe a climate of intimidation as Russians attempt to impose order.
Svitlana and Mykola report that the Russians have littered the area, but that the personnel is still able to monitor the reactor effectively.
Hryhoriy Plachkov, former head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine, informs us that the hazards are “considerable” so long as the Russians control the Zaporizhzhia power station.
He concedes that it would take the Russians “two to three” months to redirect power back to their grid if that was their intention.
Enerhodar is a sector of a southern front line where fighting has intensified in recent weeks.
There is, however, little movement, suggesting that Ukraine will continue to lose control of Europe’s largest nuclear power station.
