Nuclear safety at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under Russian occupation: Threats, legal violations and Ukraine’s stance

By Artem Kovalenko
From the outset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, disregard for the principles of nuclear safety and security has been a persistent feature of Russia’s misconduct.
In particular, Russia has threatened the safe operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants, raising the risk of a nuclear emergency whose effects would be felt far from the borders of Ukraine.
Four years ago, on March 4, 2022, Russian military forces attacked and seized the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) – the largest nuclear plant in Europe (six reactors, 5,700 MW installed capacity).
Russia turned ZNPP into a military base, disrupted its normal operations, damaged infrast...