Ukraine’s national nuclear energy generating company Energoatom has said reactors at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station cannot be restarted while the facility remains under Russian control, citing serious safety violations and technical degradation.
The company said in a strongly-worded statement that any discussions about restarting the six-unit facility, which has been occupied by Russia since soon after the February 2022 invasion, would violate international nuclear and radiation safety standards.
The only legitimate operator of the station, near the frontline of fighting in southern Ukraine, is Energoatom, and only Ukrainian specialists have the necessary expertise and authority to manage the facility, the statement said.