Russia Stations Soldiers Atop Nuclear Reactors As Ukraine Attack Fears Grow
Russia is stationing soldiers atop nuclear reactors at Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, according to the British Ministry of Defense.
In its latest assessment of the conflict in Ukraine, which hit the 14-month mark on April 24, the ministry said that based on imagery from 2023, Russian forces occupying the Zaporizhzhia have established “sandbag fighting positions” on the roofs of several of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant’s (ZNPP) six reactor buildings.
The nuclear plant has been under Russian control since March 1, 2022, just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.
It was one of the first sites to be seized by Russian forces. Its six reactors are currently in shutdown mode, and its one remaining power line is supplying the electricity needed to prevent a reactor meltdown.
