Energoatom has issued a statement regarding the occupying administration of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station
This was announced by Energoatom.
Ukraine remains the lawful operator of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station
The company reiterated that the sole operator of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station is JSC ‘NAEK ‘Energoatom’, and that Denys Martynenko remains the legitimate chief engineer of the ZNPP.
Following the seizure of the plant in March 2022, Russia established its own occupation administration on the plant’s premises. ‘Energoatom’ emphasises that all individuals appointed to management positions by the occupying authorities have no legal status under either Ukrainian legislation or international law.
Why the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP remains a threat
The statement notes that the Russian authorities have gradually removed Ukrainian specialists who ensured the safe operation of the plant from their posts. Instead, the company claims, the workforce has been supplemented with staff lacking the necessary experience of working at nuclear facilities.
At the same time, Energoatom states that it has managed to retain the majority of its highly qualified specialists. After leaving the occupied territory, they continued to work within the company’s structure and, once the Zaporizhzhia NPP has been liberated, will be able to return to work at the plant.
The company also pointed out that, since the start of the Russian occupation, the Zaporizhzhia NPP has repeatedly lost its external power supply, and the military presence on its premises, along with restrictions on the IAEA mission’s operations, pose constant risks to nuclear safety.
Energoatom called on the international community to step up pressure on Russia, to secure the demilitarisation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the return of the plant to Ukrainian control. The company emphasised that only after de-occupation will it be possible to fully restore safe operation of Europe’s largest nuclear power station.
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