Intelligence chief: Russia additionally mined Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
According to Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov, there is a threat of an explosion or accident at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as the Russian forces have additionally mined the plant's cooler. Budanov said there is currently "a certain threat" to the plant. He noted that by destroying the [1]Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam, the Russians also restrained the regular water access to the plant's coolers.
"The worst thing is that Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was additionally mined during this time. It was the cooler that was mined. If they disable it by blowing it up, there is a high probability that there will be significant problems," Budanov added.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been under Russian occupation since March 4, 2022. It relies on water from the Kakhovka Reservoir to power its turbine condensers. During regular Russian attacks on the country's energy infrastructure, the plant was fully disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid several times.
Russian forces have been using the plant as a military base to launch repeated attacks on Ukrainian-controlled territory. In early May, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officials warned[2] that the situation at the plant was "increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous" due to the frequency of shelling nearby. Later, Ukraine's military intelligence warned[3] about the possibility of a Russian false-flag operation at the plant.
Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA, visited the occupied plant on June 15, saying that the station could operate safely for "some time."
Olesya Boyko
Olesya Boyko is an intern at the Kyiv Independent.
Olesya works at Chytomo, a Ukrainian media about culture, publishing and literature.