Occupation has significantly worsened condition of critical safety systems, says Energoatom
Ukraine’s national nuclear energy generating company Energoatom has said reactors at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station cannot be restarted while the facility remains under Russian control, citing serious safety violations and technical degradation.
The company said in a strongly-worded statement that any discussions about restarting the six-unit facility, which has been occupied by Russia since soon after the February 2022 invasion, would violate international nuclear and radiation safety standards.
The only legitimate operator of the station, near the frontline of fighting in southern Ukraine, is Energoatom, and only Ukrainian specialists have the necessary expertise and authority to manage the facility, the statement said.
“The fact that the largest nuclear power plant in Europe has been under illegal Russian occupation since 2022 creates unacceptable safety risks and violates international conventions on nuclear and radiation safety,” Energoatom said.
“The licence to operate the ZNPP is held by its legal operator, Energoatom, and only Ukrainian specialists have the right and competence to operate the plant.”
Energoatom said Russia’s occupation of Zaporizhzhia has significantly worsened the condition of critical safety systems. It cited a lack of proper maintenance, violation of repair schedules, lack of access to original spare parts and an inability to conduct proper inspections. It said this had led to critical degradation of the equipment and “created the prerequisites for potential emergencies”.
All six units at Zaporizhzhia are in a state of cold shutdown, defined by nuclear regulators as meaning the reactor coolant system is at atmospheric pressure and at a temperature below about 90°C following a reactor cooldown.
Cold shutdown reduces the need for cooling and lessens the risk of an accident. In a cold shutdown, the reactor is in a subcritical state, meaning no nuclear fission is taking place, and the fuel and control rods can be safely removed and replaced.
US president Donald Trump has suggested that as part of a peace deal Washington could take over the running of Zaporizhzhia.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has insisted that “all nuclear power plants belong to the people of Ukraine”.
