As reported by Russian state-controlled media TASS on Tuesday, operations at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant have been halted amid “provocations” by Ukrainian forces.
Yevgeny Balitsky, the Moscow-installed governor of the Russia-controlled section of the surrounding region, expressed concern about Ukraine’s expected counteroffensive to retake Russian-held territory, including areas in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned that the environment around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant had become “potentially dangerous.”
Russia Halts Operations in Zaporizhzhia
Russia gained control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant during the initial phases of its invasion of Ukraine, which started in February last year. All six reactors still have nuclear material inside them despite being in a “cold shutdown” and not producing power.
Russian-Occupation Officials for the Zaporizhzhia Region of Southeastern Ukraine have announced that All Powers Units at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant have “Suspended Operations” due to possibility that Provocations could soon occur near the Plant. pic.twitter.com/60jIO3hmGQ
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 8, 2023
As stated by the Russian occupation authorities in the occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the Kakhovka Reservoir’s water levels allegedly increased due to Ukrainian forces beginning to “release water from the Kakhovka dam.” Russia has already tried to obstruct the work of the Kakhovka Reservoir.
Yevgeny Balitsky told TASS, “We’ve seen the level (of water in the nearby Kakhovka Reservoir) rise to 17.08 (metres). We realise that this is manipulation. The nuclear reactors have been suspended.”
In mid-February, Ukrainian officials stated that Russian soldiers began draining the reservoir, causing an environmental risk to over a million people. The cooling system of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station relies on reservoir water.
IAEA Issues Nuclear Accident Warning
IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated that the Zaporizhzhia power station in southeast Ukraine faces “extremely real nuclear safety and security risk.” He added “We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment.”
Grossi also expressed his deep concern for the “increasingly tense, stressful, and challenging conditions” for workers and their families.
The IAEA stated that it had received information that evacuation of residents from the nearby town of Enerhodar, where most of the plant’s workers live, had begun, and it is “closely monitoring the situation for any potential impact on nuclear safety and security.”
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has raised concerns as to the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power planthttps://t.co/zgFWk1QU2a
— CNN International (@cnni) May 8, 2023
Russian Forces Evacuate Civilians
In response to the deteriorating situation, Russian authorities have begun evacuating residents from nearby areas, reportedly 1,679 people, including 660 children, have been evacuated from areas near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
Yevgeny Balitsky said the evacuations were a “necessary measure” due to the “intensified shelling of settlements” close to the battle line. Local Telegram channels reported witnessing evacuation buses and hearing about officials ordering people to leave and taking their kids from kindergarten.
Balitsky stated, “the evacuees have already been placed in the temporary accommodation centre for residents of the front-line territories of the Zaporizhzhia region in Berdiansk.”
The evacuation comes amid speculations of an impending Ukrainian counteroffensive, with the southern area expected to be a primary target as Kyiv attempts to fight back Moscow's attack.
According to Yuri Chernichuk, the site director, working personnel are not being evacuated and “are doing everything necessary to ensure nuclear safety and security at the plant.”
Ukrainian officials have accused the Russian military of forcefully using evacuations to deport Ukrainians.