Russia deploys military equipment near reactors of Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant in Ukraine

Russian forces have positioned military equipment near the reactors of the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), the largest in Europe, according to Southern Defense Forces spokesperson Vladyslav Voloshyn.

Voloshyn said that these actions violate international humanitarian law, which prohibits the use of nuclear power plants as military targets.

“International law forbids using nuclear plants as military sites, but the enemy doesn’t care. Knowing that we won’t strike the nuclear plant, the Russians are hiding their military equipment here,” he said. 

The Russians are reportedly using the ZNPP grounds as a training area for their drone operators.

“There is even evidence that several strikes on Zaporizhzhia were launched from here. Do you think the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts, whose mission is on the plant, are seeing this?” Voloshyn said.

On Dec. 28, a ceasefire was announced near the Zaporizhzhia plant, allowing essential repair work on power lines near the facility under the mediation of the IAEA.

However, by early January, fighting had caused the plant to temporarily lose power from one of its high-voltage lines.