BY BRENDAN COLE ON 5/3/23
Russia-installed managers at the Moscow-occupied atomic energy power plant in Zaporizhzhia are trying to leave the site over concerns about Ukraine's expected counteroffensive, according to the country's nuclear operator.
Energoatom said on Telegram that the Moscow-appointed director of the site, Yuriy Chernichuk, had left the town of Enerhodar, where the plant is located, for occupied Crimea on Monday. The Ukrainian state enterprise had also said that the "pseudo management" of the site had urgently asked to go on leave.
"The current so-called managers of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant show a desire to 'rest' en masse closer to the Kerch Strait, asking the Russians to go on vacation," said the post, according to a translation. The Kerch Strait separates Russia from Russian-occupied Crimea.
Russian serviceman patrols the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in Energodar on May 1, 2022. Ukraine's nuclear operator Energoatom has said that Russian-installed managers at the site are looking to flee.
ANDREY BORODULIN/GETTY IMAGES
"However, due to the critical lack of personnel, middle-level 'managers' have not agreed to this," the post added.
"The traitors are looking for ways to evacuate, because they understand that the (Ukrainian) Armed Forces are already close, so there is very little time left to escape," it said.
Energoatom's post on Tuesday called for "the brave workers of the Zaporizhzhia station not to sign any contracts with the enemy in the future, so as not to become direct aids of the aggressor and not to destroy their own futures." Newsweek has contacted Energoatom for further comment.
The threat of disaster has loomed over Europe's largest nuclear plant ever since it was seized by Russian troops soon after their full-scale invasion.
"However, due to the critical lack of personnel, middle-level 'managers' have not agreed to this," the post added.
"The traitors are looking for ways to evacuate, because they understand that the (Ukrainian) Armed Forces are already close, so there is very little time left to escape," it said.
Energoatom's post on Tuesday called for "the brave workers of the Zaporizhzhia station not to sign any contracts with the enemy in the future, so as not to become direct aids of the aggressor and not to destroy their own futures." Newsweek has contacted Energoatom for further comment.
The threat of disaster has loomed over Europe's largest nuclear plant ever since it was seized by Russian troops soon after their full-scale invasion.
Over the following months, both sides accused the other of shelling the plant, located around 300 miles from the site of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe, stoking fears over what might happen if the reactors are damaged.
A small number of officials from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are at the site which is operated by Ukrainian staff working under the orders of Russian forces and the Russian nuclear company Rosatom.
Last week, British defense officials said that Russian forces had built fighting positions on top of reactor buildings at the site as Moscow becomes increasingly concerned about Kyiv's anticipated counteroffensive. However, they said that "direct catastrophic damage to the reactors is unlikely" because the structures are very heavily reinforced.
Also last week, Russia told the IAEA that equipment at the power plant will be used to fix a power transmission line that leads to Russian-held territory, Reuters reported. This has raised concerns that Russia is preparing to connect the site to the power grid of territory Moscow has seized.
Meanwhile, in the wider Zaporizhzhia Oblast, authorities said on Wednesday that Russian forces had launched 82 attacks over the previous 24 hours. Regional governor Yurii Malashko reported that Russians had undertaken two missile strikes, three air strikes, four drone attacks and 69 artillery strikes.
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