The city of Zaporizhzhya remains free Ukrainian territory, whereas Russian invaders have occupied the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant-even as Ukrainian staff have continued their work there-and the nearby city of Enerhodar since the first days of March. For one, Russian attacks on the city of Zaporizhzhya dozens of kilometers upstream are frequently mischaracterized on social media as strikes aimed at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. Given the intense propaganda value of the current situation, observers and the general public should critically evaluate public statements and verify the details of any alleged events that may occur there over the next few days.įor months now, the situation has remained continually ripe for misinformation and misunderstanding. As of this writing, the war marks its six-month anniversary as Ukraine simultaneously marks its 31st anniversary of independence, with rumors circulating of an impending incident at the plant. With increased Russian military activity around the Zaporizhzhya plant, such considerations have become concretely relevant.īut in this charged environment, media coverage has become less of a rational discussion of scientific risks than a focal point for moral symbolism. Some countries, including both Russia and Ukraine, maintain a longstanding policy that such protection may become invalidated if hostile forces actively use the facility as a base of operations, or if the facility is actively aiding the enemy army. Under international humanitarian law, nuclear power plants sit in a protected category of large-scale civil infrastructure, alongside dikes and hydroelectric dams. Russian troops near the power plant in southern Ukraine have increasingly used the facility itself as a shield to protect themselves from enemy fire.įor the latest updates on the status of Ukraine's Nuclear Reactors, check out our Nuclear Energy Team's FAQ. Their nerves wracked by pinpoint Ukrainian artillery and drone attacks, Russian troops have been forced to retreat from vast swaths of Ukrainian territory in the north, northeast, and south.
The comments came during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in western Ukraine, which Guterres was visiting during an attempt to spur peace talks.Īs Ukraine continues to battle Putin’s unprovoked invasion, the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant has become a metaphor for Russia’s unhinged, self-destructive, desperate continuation of a conflict that Russian leaders and generals had initially expected to win within days or weeks. Secretary-General António Guterres used these words to describe the risks of ongoing fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces around the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine. “Any potential damage to Zaporizhzhya is suicide.”
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