Latest news with #ZNPP
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia cannot safely restart Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant – Ukraine's Energy Ministry
Russia is unable to restore the safe operation of the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), and its statements about such intentions are merely an attempt to blackmail Ukraine and the international community. Source: Yurii Sheiko, First Deputy Energy Minister of Ukraine, on air during the national joint 24/7 newscast, as reported by Expro, a Ukrainian energy and oil & gas consultancy Details: Sheiko recalled that on 28 May, Ukraine's Permanent Mission to international organisations in Vienna sent a note to the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Secretariat condemning Russia's plans to potentially connect the ZNPP to the Russian power grid and construct transmission lines for this purpose. Quote: "The plant is not ready to operate. There are major risks involved in restarting the reactors. A full inspection of the equipment and systems is necessary, as no maintenance has been carried out at the ZNPP. There is no qualified personnel familiar with the equipment – including Ukrainian-made components installed during the plant's modernisation." More details: The deputy energy minister stressed that the Russians have "neither spare parts nor materials and zero knowledge of how to repair, service or operate the plant". At present, the ZNPP continues to receive power from Ukraine's national grid. Background: It was recently reported that Russia intends to restart and operate the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant despite the risks and calls to address the plant's status within peace negotiations. Construction of power transmission lines from the ZNPP to other temporarily occupied territories is ongoing. A new line has been spotted in the Mariupol district of Donetsk Oblast. Meanwhile, the IAEA has stated that there are currently no signs that Russia is preparing to restart the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Russia builds power lines to connect occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to its grid, NYT reports
Russia is constructing power lines in occupied southern Ukraine in an apparent attempt to link the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to its energy grid, the New York Times reported on May 27, citing a new Greenpeace report. The Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest nuclear facility in Europe and one of the ten largest globally, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. Satellite imagery included in the report shows that since early February 2025, Russian forces have laid over 80 kilometers (49 miles) of high-voltage lines between occupied Mariupol and Berdyansk, following the coastline of the Sea of Azov. Greenpeace experts believe the construction aims to connect the new lines to a large substation near Mariupol, which could, in turn, be linked to the ZNPP, which is located some 225 kilometers (some 139 miles) away. It sits in the city of Enerhodar in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast, on the east bank of the Dnipro River, which remains under Russian control. Ukrainian authorities have no access to the site or its surrounding infrastructure. Shaun Burnie, a nuclear specialist at Greenpeace, said that the satellite evidence offers the first concrete confirmation of Russian President Vladimir Putin's plans to restart the plant and permanently integrate it into Russia's grid. The construction of power infrastructure indicates long-term intentions to seize full control of Ukraine's energy assets in the occupied regions. Russia has repeatedly asserted ownership over the plant based on its illegal annexation of Zaporizhzhia Oblast in September 2022, despite the fact that Ukraine retains control over much of the oblast, including its administrative center. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly expressed concern over the safety of the plant, where shelling and the presence of armed troops have led to multiple emergency shutdowns and power disruptions. The U.S. has reportedly proposed that control over the ZNPP be returned to Ukraine before transferring its management to the U.S. to supply electricity to areas under both Ukrainian and Russian control. Russia immediately rejected the suggestion. Read also: Why did Russia invade Ukraine? Debunking Putin's 'root causes' claims We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russians illegally detain 13 workers of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
Energoatom, Ukraine's state-owned nuclear energy operator, has reported that the Russians are holding at least 13 employees of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant hostage. Source: Energoatom on Telegram Details: It is noted that since the beginning of the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which is also Europe's largest power plant, Russia has begun unprecedented pressure on nuclear workers who refused to switch sides and sign worthless contracts with Rosatom, Russia's state-run nuclear power company. About 5,000 specialists were able to leave the temporarily occupied city of Enerhodar where the ZNPP is located, and Energoatom is taking care of their employment in other divisions of the company. However, at least 13 ZNPP employees are known to have been deprived of their freedom by the Russians in the temporarily occupied territory. Seven of them have been "sentenced" to imprisonment, and three are still in prison awaiting fake verdicts. The fate of three more remains unknown – they are considered missing. In addition, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia tortured to death ZNPP diver Andrii Honcharuk. The Russians continue to use the ZNPP as a military base. Military vehicles are parked in the machine halls of the power units, and explosive weapons are stored there. Energoatom emphasised that the plant's equipment was deteriorating, and there could be no question of a safe restart of the ZNPP. Quote: "All illegally detained nuclear workers must be immediately released from Russian captivity. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant must immediately be transferred to the control of its legal operator, Energoatom, and Russia must withdraw its military personnel and military equipment from the plant. This is the only way to restore nuclear and radiation safety across the entire continent!" Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Restart of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant by Russia could trigger disaster, nuclear energy official warns
Any attempt by the Russians to restart the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) should be regarded as an act of nuclear terror. Source: Oleh Korikov, Head of Ukraine's State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate, in a report at a meeting of the International Nuclear Regulators' Association (INRA) Details: Korikov warned that, under current conditions, such a move could have catastrophic consequences for the entire world. Quote from Korikov: "At present, the emergency preparedness and response system is not functioning at ZNPP, early warning and radiation monitoring systems are not functioning. There is no reliable water supply and stable external power supply at Zaporizhzhia NPP, no proper maintenance of safety systems and safety-critical systems and no qualified personnel. The Russian military, which is stationed at ZNPP, continues to militarise the plant." Details: In addition, the Russians have significantly restricted the activities of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. They unilaterally decide whether to grant requested access, prohibit direct communication with staff, and withhold complete information about the condition of systems and equipment. Background: Recently, Russia's nuclear energy giant Rosatom stated that Moscow is now open to discussing a potential US presence at the ZNPP. Until then, the Russians had categorically refused to engage on this issue. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated that the proposal for US control over the ZNPP raises many complex questions. However, he described a potential scenario in which the United States and Ukraine jointly oversee the plant as acceptable, though no such proposals have been put forward. Earlier, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi suggested that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant could resume operations within a few months after the end of hostilities. However, fully restarting all six reactors may take over a year, as they are currently all shut down. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Miami Herald
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Russia's Lavrov digs in on control of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Russia hasn't received a U.S. proposal to give up control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeast Ukraine, and a change to the facility's ownership isn't conceivable, said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. His comments were consistent with the foreign ministry's declaration in March that Moscow won't cede control of the plant or agree to operate the facility jointly with another state. It also comes at the outset of what U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Sunday "a very critical week" in the U.S. effort to forge peace between Russia and Ukraine. President Donald Trump said after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome that the sides were close to reaching a peace plan but Rubio sounded a more cautious note. "We're not there yet," Rubio said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "This week is going to be a really important week in which we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in, or if it's time to sort of focus on some other issues that are equally if not more important in some cases," he added. The currently defunct Zaporizhzhia atomic plant, Europe's largest, has been occupied by Russia since the first weeks of Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022. ZNPP, near the town of Enerhodar, is now controlled by Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation, with monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog, rotated into the facility. Lavrov said in an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation" - conducted last week and broadcast on Sunday - that safety requirements for the plant "are fully implemented and it is in very good hands." Zelenskyy said in March that if the U.S. helped to return the power plant to Ukraine and invest in it, Washington and Kyiv could work together. He estimated it will take years of costly repairs to safely return Zaporizhzhia to operation. The facility has come up as part of a Trump administration effort to boost cooperation with Russia's energy sector as it pushes for a deal to end the war in Ukraine, Bloomberg has reported. One proposal would see the U.S. take over the plant, to be considered Ukrainian territory, with any electricity generated supplied to both Ukraine and Russia. "We never received such an offer," Lavrov told CBS. "I don't think any change is conceivable." _____ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
