why is the Russian army digging new trenches around the nuclear power plant?

Can Russia really restart the power units of the occupied ZNPP, and what are the risks? Why are the Russian military digging new trenches on the territory of the Zaporizhzhya NPP? Is it possible to create a neutral zone around the station, and what is required for this? The Radio Liberty project “News of Azov” learned about this.

• The Russian military is digging trenches around the Zaporizhzhya NPP cooling reservoir. This is stated in a study by British military analysts McKenzie, commissioned by the international organization Greenpeace. Analysts say that since the occupation of the ZANP by Russia until the end of June this year, the Russian military has built more than 1,000 meters of trenches. They are mainly concentrated on the northern and western sides of the reservoir.
• According to Greenpeace, analysis of satellite data shows that a significant area of ​​the nuclear power plant itself is being militarized even more. There are not only trenches, but also fortifications that can be used as places for deploying heavy military equipment.
• In addition, Greenpeace is concerned that significant militarization of the cooling reservoir area may be related to Russia's future plans to restart nuclear reactors. Analysts believe that Russia's construction of trenches and fortifications may be a harbinger of the operation of a new pumping station and efforts to restart the ZNPP.

Heavy weapons near the reactors?

Nuclear energy expert Greenpeace Central and Eastern Europe Sean Burney told “News of Priazovya” that from the point of view of nuclear safety, any such construction on the territory of the nuclear power plant is dangerous.

“The cooling reservoir is a stabilizing object, and first of all, it was stabilized due to the Kakhovskaya dam, which is now gone due to the Russian occupation and Russian troops. And this has an extremely strong effect on the reliability and integrity of the cooling reservoir. Because of this, the cooling reservoir can be extremely vulnerable. As for the militarization of this object, we saw supports that were buried in the ground. Such special supports are made in order to be able to place heavy weapons there, which can fire in the direction of Ukraine (territory under the control of the authorities of Ukraine – ed.), Ukrainian citizens,” he says.

Greenpeace specialists noted that this is one of the two places where a pumping station can be built. There is currently no confirmed data that Russia is building a new pumping station at the Zaporizhzhya NPP, the scientist says. However, if such works are visible, it will be a sign that the occupiers will start the plant's reactors into operation.

“If we talk about construction, then they have to provide water for the cooling reservoir. This can be done either from the Dnipro River or from the Konka River. The Russians said they would build a pumping station, but did not say where they would do it. While the reactors are shut down, there is no need for additional water, the current in the splash pools is sufficient. If we are talking about additional water supply, then this is already a clear signal that the restart of the reactors is planned to some extent. At the same time, we must understand that this is also included in the strategy of the military operation, because it is targeted terror“, he emphasized.

The international community should punish Russia and Rosatom directly for the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP with separate sanctions, however, some countries are not interested in this, Berny added.

• Head of the Ukrainian company “Energoatom” Peter Kotin stated the other day that the situation at the occupied Zaporizhzhya NPP remains difficult. In July of this year, the UN General Assembly voted for a resolution on “Safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine, including the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.”
• It states that Russia should urgently withdraw its military and other unauthorized personnel from the ZNPP and immediately return the plant to the full control of Ukraine.
• In Russia, this resolution was called a “politicized project.” Also, the Russian occupation authorities declare that it seems that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are shelling the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

“Additional trenches”

Head of the Security Analysis Department of the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety Dmytro Humeniuk told “News of Priazovya” that the number of soldiers at the ZNPP periodically increases.

“There is information regarding the arrangement of additional trenches, ditches, and something else around the cooler reservoir. In principle, I do not see that these additional fortifications indicate their desire to restart the power units. Although there is indeed information from the mass media that the Russians want to restart the power units. What can be said here? Their presence (military forces of the Russian Federation) at the station is already nuclear terrorism,” he noted.

Given the hostilities and Russia's occupation of parts of the southern territories of Ukraine, the editors cannot obtain official confirmation of some of the statements made or independently verify them.

“Challenge for Ukraine”

If Russia restarts the power units of the ZNPP, the disaster will be a matter of time, the expert believes. He explained that restarting the power units alone will not do anything. The main thing for the occupying forces is to connect the power units to the Russian power system.

“Connecting the power unit to the Russian power system will be a challenge in itself for Ukraine. Now Ukraine is connected to the energy system of Europe and the connection of Russia will directly affect even the energy system of Europe. This is already a crime. In order to power the equipment and cool the nuclear reactors, Ukraine provides already scarce electricity to ensure safety at the Zaporizhzhia station. If even one power unit is restarted, the energy that will be released in the nuclear reactor will increase thousands of times. The water in the cooling pond will not be enough to cool the nuclear fuel long-term, to cool the equipment long-term. It can lead to the boiling of the cooling pond and, in principle, to the heating of the core, because there will be nothing to cool it. This can have much worse consequences than now,” Humenyuk emphasized.

In addition, there are currently not enough personnel to operate the power units at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, he says. The occupiers are still trying to fill the shortage of personnel with workers from Russian nuclear power plants.

“Each power unit is unique, especially compared to Russian ones. The Zaporizhzhia station is significantly different, a lot of modernization was done, equipment, indicators and everything else were replaced. And basically, the operation of the power unit requires personnel who must be trained accordingly. Therefore, in principle, it will actually be a disaster,” Humenyuk emphasized.

Zaporizhzhia NPP will be safe only when it returns to the control of Ukraine, the expert noted. In his opinion, the main challenge now is to prevent reactor restarts.

He explained that if even one power unit is started, in the event of an accident on it, the consequences will be similar to the Fukushima accident (the accident at the Japanese nuclear power plant was the worst since the Chernobyl disaster – ed.), when the radiation pollution will be enough for it to be transferred beyond the borders of Ukraine to European countries.

“In my opinion, the world community has shown that it has no influence on the Russians regarding their stay or expulsion from the Zaporizhzhia station. Therefore, we can only hope for the remnants of their (occupiers') common sense, that they will not do this, because it will be a danger not only for Ukraine and Europe, but also for them,” Humenyuk added.

About the shelling of the nuclear power plant

We also asked whether the situation in Energodar, the station's satellite city, is changing due to the further militarization of the ZNPP. First Deputy Mayor Ivan Samoydiuk said that the number of Russian soldiers in the city is quite large, just like before.

“We very often observe shelling of the city from one side to the other by the same Russian military under the pretext of further comments that it is supposedly done by Ukraine. The energy companies have all learned to understand this, and we know that the occupiers carry out such actions systematically. From where the nuclear power plant is being fired at, from the coast under their control, or from outside the station itself, it is difficult to say. But on the territory of the station there are enough fire fortifications, enough weapons and quite a lot of military personnel are stationed on the territory of the immediate nuclear plant,” he noted.

The occupying power involves both residents of other captured settlements and workers from Russia in construction work, however, this phenomenon is not widespread at the moment, the official says.

“They are mobilizing and calling on people from other occupied territories and regions of the Russian Federation to move to Energodar. Therefore, we are observing the gradual movement of the population from the far corners of Russia to Energodar, to the villages around Energodar,” said Samoydiuk.

• About 5,000 nuclear workers left the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) for the territory under the control of the Ukrainian government, the Minister of Energy said during the hour of questions to the government Herman Galushchenko.
• He recalled that “since February of this year, the Russians have banned access to the ZNPP for those workers who remained in the occupied territory.” According to Galushchenko, “such employees continue to receive salaries that accumulate in their accounts.”

“Neutral zone around the ZNPP”

Military analyst Ivan Stupak told “News of Azov” that Russia is primarily trying to provoke the Ukrainian military by its actions at the ZNPP.

He noted that the nuclear power plant is a very profitable platform for the Russian military, however, they are not completely safe there, the analyst says.

“The Zaporizhzhia NPP is located in such a way that it cannot be bypassed – it is necessary to break through the front there, and Ukrainian troops cannot advance by water. This reservoir is mined there, there are various technical devices, alarms, and Russian drones are located there. Ago they are much more interested in Ukraine trying to aim at these objects, so that there is a detonation, and they are filming it, showing – look, the Ukrainians are shelling and endangering the entire building of the Zaporizhzhya NPP. That is, they will play this card. However, I see that they lead a rather careful way of carrying out the duty, they do not appear on the street much, all their activity takes place inside”, Stupak said.

It is currently impossible to liberate the Zaporizhzhya NPP by military means, the analyst noted. In his opinion, the only possible scenario at the moment is negotiations on the creation of a neutral zone around the ZNPP.

“To bring it, in the best version, under the control of Ukraine. But now, most likely, it can be done only under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), but without the presence of the Russian military. That is, a kind of demilitarized zone of the Zaporizhia NPP within a radius of 30 km from the station, there are neither Russian soldiers nor Ukrainian servicemen, there are only civilian personnel of the Zaporizhia NPP and it is switched to the Ukrainian power grid. This will indeed be a serious achievement, because we still have no other options to regain control over the ZNPP,” said Stupak.

• Zaporizhzhia NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Russian troops occupied the city of Energodar and the nearby Zaporizhzhya NPP at the beginning of March 2022. In September 2023, the president of “Energoatom” announced that 822 Ukrainian nuclear workers remain working at the plant. Ukraine has repeatedly accused the Russian occupiers of abducting and torturing the station's personnel.
• The territory of the station is periodically subjected to shelling, for which Ukraine and Russia blame each other. The Ukrainian authorities also stated that the Russian army used the nuclear power plant to store military equipment and deploy its servicemen.