Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant not produces electrical energy and serves solely as a army base for Moscow’s troops, the exiled mayor of the town of Energodar, which homes the ability, advised AFP.
Moscow’s troops seized the plant within the southern Zaporizhzhia area on March 4 final yr, simply days after the beginning of Russia’s invasion.
The Worldwide Atomic Power Company (IAEA) has raised considerations about shelling close to the plant, calling for a demilitarised zone round it.
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“Throughout a yr beneath occupation, (Russians) have turned Europe’s largest nuclear energy plant right into a army base,” 37-year-old Energodar mayor Dmytro Orlov mentioned in an interview to AFP.
The plant has repeatedly made headlines and revived fears of nuclear catastrophies just like the lethal Chernobyl catastrophe that shook Ukraine in 1986.
Orlov mentioned Russian troops reap the benefits of the truth that Ukraine “is not going to fireplace” on the web site to keep away from such an incident.
Kyiv and Moscow have blamed one another for shelling across the plant.
Which means Russia makes use of the plant as a “nuclear defend” to maintain its army tools, ammunition and personnel secure, he mentioned.
In response to Orlov, a minimum of 1,000 Russian troopers are at present stationed on the energy plant and in Energodar.
The town on the banks of the Dnipro river noticed its inhabitants drop from 53,000 to about 15,000 following the invasion.
Dangerously low staffing
“Many of the occupation troops are primarily based on the energy plant as a result of they’re safer there,” mentioned the mayor, who in April 2022 moved to the Ukrainian-controlled metropolis of Zaporizhzhia.
Zaporizhzhia is a few 120 kilometres (75 miles) from Energodar, however Orlov mentioned he maintains common contacts with the residents who stayed behind within the metropolis he ruled.
The exodus from Energodar after Russia’s occupation affected not solely the town, but in addition the staffing of the plant.
In response to Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom, near half of the ability’s workforce is gone.
Round 6,500 employees remaining in comparison with 11,000 earlier than the struggle.
Hundreds of execs left for territories managed by Kyiv and of those that remained, some 2,600 agreed to “cooperate” with Russia, Energoatom advised AFP.
“There’s a actual staffing drawback, which has an impression on security,” mayor Orlov mentioned.
In response to him, the remaining staff are overworked, compelled to work with low staffing and with out holidays.
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The plant, which beforehand produced 20 p.c of Ukraine’s electrical energy, continued to function within the first months of the invasion, regardless of frequent shelling.
Now, its six Soviet-era reactors are in shutdown and not produce electrical energy.
The power stays linked to Ukraine’s power grid however solely consumes electrical energy for its personal wants.
No army resolution
Moscow “for a number of months tried to attach it to the Russian electrical energy community however they did no succeed,” Orlov mentioned.
Russia is unable to place any reactor into operation as a result of the ability transmission traces are broken, apart from the one which feeds it from Ukraine, Energoatom mentioned.
Even when Moscow sends its personal specialists, “their abilities are usually not sufficient to organise the full-fledged work” of the plant, in line with Energoatom.
The difficulty is that the shutdown of the plant results in a “gradual degradation of its programs and tools”.
The operator additionally warned of the “threat of a nuclear or radiation accident” if the final energy line connecting the plant to Ukrainian power grid is lower.
The US-based Institute for the Examine of Battle mentioned Wednesday that Moscow could also be “making an attempt to discourage a doable future Ukrainian counteroffensive” within the south by “escalating threats” to the plant.
The UN’s nuclear company IAEA deployed observers to the plant in September and is searching for to barter a demilitarised zone close to the ability, however talks seem to have stalled.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi mentioned on Twitter Thursday {that a} new rotation of consultants had been accomplished, posting a video of observers in helmets and bulletproof vests strolling round a destroyed bridge to succeed in the ability plant.
“The truth that they’re there may be already a plus,” Orlov added, who says there can solely be a diplomatic resolution.
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“For apparent causes, no one will de-militarise and de-occupy Europe’s largest nuclear energy plant by army means.”