Inside Ukraine: Nuclear Peril, Torture, and Environmental Crisis

Japan Forward

10-07-2025

More than three years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, experts gathered at the Ukrainian Embassy in Tokyo on July 7 to spotlight a deepening pattern of Russian war crimes, nuclear threats, and environmental destruction.
Jointly organized by Ukrainian human rights NGO Truth Hounds and United States-based Project Expedite Justice (PEJ), the briefing presented findings from a years-long investigation.
Panelists opened the session with a stark reminder that the world's attention is fading just as Moscow's actions become more coordinated and brazen.
"When Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia's atrocities were on the first pages of newspapers," said Dmytro Koval, co-executive director of Truth Hounds. "It's unfortunate but not unexpected that Ukraine is disappearing from the media." Dmytro Koval, co-executive director of Truth Hounds and legal adviser at PEJ, responds to questions from the press. (©Kenji Yoshida)
He stressed that the Russian military's violations are ongoing and not isolated. "They are not just some unconnected acts that violate international law or international human rights law, but a system of connected, organized violence."
The impact, he added, stretches far beyond the front lines.
One example cited was the June 6, 2023, destruction of the Kakhovka Dam on the Dnieper River in Kherson Oblast. The dam, which provided cooling water to Europe's largest nuclear facility at Zaporizhzhia, collapsed in what panelists described as a deliberate act of Russian sabotage.
"[Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant] was licensed to operate only with the Kakhovka dam for cooling, but it was shut down by the Russians," said Roman Koval, head of research at Truth Hounds.
The damage was immediate and widespread. An artificial flood destroyed wetlands, wiped out ecosystems, and contaminated drinking water for nearly one million people. In some areas, restoring groundwater is expected to take decades. Settlements on the left bank of the Dnieper River are underwater after the Kakhovka Dam was breached on June 6, 2023. (©АрміяInform)
Using seismic data, satellite imagery, and firsthand accounts from engineers and residents, the investigation concluded that explosives were planted in the dam structure, access to which was controlled by Russian forces.
"Based on our investigation, we concluded Russian troops carried out the explosion, and they were fully aware of the environmental consequences that would follow," said Cynthia Tai, an attorney and executive director of PEJ.
Moscow has denied responsibility and blamed Ukrainian forces for the breach.
The destruction of the dam has further destabilized the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has been under severe conditions since Russian forces took control in March 2022. While the plant was placed in cold shutdown in the following September, it continues to experience power outages and other operational hazards.
On July 4, just days before the Tokyo briefing, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported another complete loss of off-site power to the facility. Though the cause was not immediately determined, the incident coincided with air raid alarms in the region. A soldier stands guard at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine, June 15, 2023. (©Reuters)
The recurrence of such incidents, Tai warned, shows how fragile the plant's safety has become. "What was once virtually unimaginable, that a major nuclear power plant would repeatedly lose its external power connections, has unfortunately become a common occurrence," she said, quoting the IAEA Director General.
Experts also raised concerns over the militarization of the facility. According to Dmytro Koval, the Russian military has positioned veterans at or near the plant and has launched missiles over the facility to strike other parts of Ukraine.
The use of critical civilian infrastructure for military purposes, along with its susceptibility to attack, presents significant long-term risks that extend beyond Ukraine's borders.
Inside the plant, the situation is no less dire. Ukrainian personnel continue to work under what experts described as an atmosphere of intimidation and abuse.
"Since the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in 2022, dozens of Ukrainians have been held captive," said Roman Koval. "They are tortured because they resist the Russian occupation... Others fall victim because they refuse to sign contracts with the Russian [nuclear energy] company Rosatom."
Based on 40 interviews conducted in Enerhodar City, where the plant is located, panelists said Rosatom officials were aware of the systematic torture and the existence of a network of detention chambers.
In one incident, Ukrainian engineers were approached by members of the Russian security services and Rosatom associates, who pressured them to cooperate with Rosatom or face torture in the basement.
Despite these conditions, Koval said satellite imagery of power line construction in May and June suggests Russia is seriously preparing to restart operations at the plant.
Closing the session, the speakers called for stronger and more coordinated global action.
"Strengthen and expand the international law framework with governance and response from the international community," said Dmytro Koval. "Joint actions that might change the behavior of the state."
Asked whether existing legal institutions can deliver justice, he expressed confidence that both the dam's destruction and the occupation of the nuclear plant will ultimately reach the International Criminal Court. President Zelenskyy meets with European leaders at a security summit on March 26, 2025. European nations reaffirmed their support for Ukraine amid concerns over a weakening US commitment. (©Emmanuel Macron Twitter)
Meanwhile, Tai said Japan is well positioned to contribute, citing its experience with the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. As one example, she noted that Fukushima University's Institute of Environmental Radioactivity is working with German and Ukrainian researchers to produce daily radiological forecast.
In a related development on Wednesday, the European Court of Human Rights found Moscow responsible for grave and widespread human rights abuses in Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Author: Kenji Yoshida