August M
Photos circulating from inside Europe’s largest nuclear power plant show scenes more typical of a dormitory than a high-security facility.
Ukrainian experts warn the changes could pose safety risks at a site already strained by war and occupation, reports The Kyiv Independent.
Living at the plant
According to the Kyiv Independent, Russian personnel brought in after Moscow seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in March 2022 have converted parts of the facility into makeshift living quarters.
Images published Jan. 20 by the Telegram channel Actual Energodar appear to show a plant room outfitted with kitchen appliances and a festive table setting. The channel’s administrators, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the photos circulated ahead of the New Year and that many Russian workers spend most of their time inside the plant.
Oleh Dudar, the plant’s former acting chief engineer, told the Kyiv Independent the footage was filmed in a service building where employees normally change into protective gear before entering controlled areas.
He said turning such spaces into living quarters and operating multiple household appliances could breach safety rules and increase fire risks.
‘A disgrace’
Dudar described the situation as “unacceptable at any facility,” particularly at a nuclear installation.
“Without (special) permits, no operation is possible. What we see there is a student dormitory. It’s a disgrace and a mess. It’s impossible to think that something like this could happen at a nuclear power plant,” he said.
Administrators of Actual Energodar said one Russian worker privately referred to the assignment as a trip to “a resort,” suggesting some view the deployment as easier than work at plants inside Russia. Photos shared on Telegram in August 2024 showed workers holding a barbecue near the site.
The Kyiv Independent reported it used facial recognition software to identify individuals in the footage as Russian nuclear employees from facilities including Kursk and Rostov.
Restricted movement
Russian staff rotating into occupied Enerhodar have also complained of pay changes and movement controls, according to the Telegram channel’s administrators.
They said workers previously received compensation from both their home plant and the occupied facility, but now lose certain payments and seniority credit while stationed there.
To leave the plant grounds for the city, workers must request permission in a messaging app, listing departure and return times.
“Every arrival at work was checked like in prison,” said a former Russian soldier with the callsign “Black,” in a video interview cited by the Kyiv Independent.
Safety concerns
Rosatom became the plant’s operator after the occupation. Although all six reactors are shut down, the facility still requires power to cool reactor cores and spent fuel.
Investigations by Truth Hounds and Greenpeace Ukraine have alleged widespread abuses against staff, including unlawful detentions and torture. The report said 78 employees were detained and six were “tortured to death.”
Energoatom officials say staffing shortages and pressure on personnel are undermining nuclear safety. Jan Vande Putte, a Greenpeace nuclear expert, told the Kyiv Independent that human rights violations and poor working conditions are “compromising nuclear safety.”
Control of the plant remains a contentious issue in U.S.-mediated peace talks, with Kyiv wary of proposals that could entrench Russia’s hold over the site.
Sources: The Kyiv Independent, Truth Hounds, Greenpeace Ukraine
