Galushchenko: Russians live under illusion of controlling situation at ZNPP
Russians have seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and are living under the illusion of controlling the situation there.
Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said this during a visit to Zaporizhzhia, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
"The key for the region is the return of the nuclear power plant. Before the start of the Russia's war of aggression, our nuclear power generation operated with 15 power units, and for the first time in the history of Zaporizhzhia NPP, it produced more than 6,000 megawatts. Now the situation is developing badly. This is stated not only by us but also by IAEA experts who are at the plant. Recently, the IAEA made a statement that they are being prevented from entering the reactor halls, which means that Russians are hiding the real state of affairs. We know the real situation. The real state of affairs is called equipment degradation," he emphasized.
The minister reminded that the plant has not been operating in the system since September 2023. The equipment of the nuclear power plant requires constant maintenance. Currently, such work is not being carried out, and this leads to degradation, he explained.
"Russians live under the illusion of controlling the situation at the plant. The Rosatom experts are criminals under international law, and each of them will be punished. They have the illusion that they control the situation at the plant. Unfortunately, the situation is getting worse every day," Galushchenko stressed.
According to him, to make predictions about the future of ZNPP, it is necessary to understand whether the plant will be in working order when Ukraine returns it.
"Today, even one unit at the plant needs a lot of work to start operating. The situation with Kakhovka (the disappearance of the Kakhovka reservoir due to the blowing up of the dam by the Russians - ed.) also affects ZNPP work. The situation is complicated. Terrorists have already done so much... The very operation of the plant is a huge effort for us," the minister said.
When asked by Ukrinform whether the occupiers could reconnect the station, Galushchenko stated that this is "a Russian dream."
"This is their dream. I don't see how they can do it technically. This is a complicated issue. We know the names of everyone who is there from Rosatom. This is a circle of people in the nuclear energy industry, people who came from the Soviet Union, who all know each other, who studied together. So now they have to think about how they will live their lives. The illusion of control and the illusion that they are not involved in the crime. They are criminals not only from the point of view of Ukrainian legislation, but also from the point of view of international legislation, by the fact of their presence at the nuclear facility, by the fact of their actual management of it," the minister added.
Speaking about renewable energy, or rather the loss of its share due to the occupation, he said that last year Ukraine built new facilities.
"Last year, we added 114 megawatts in Mykolaiv region, 60 megawatts in Odesa region and about 53 megawatts in Lviv region. This is about wind energy. Plus, we added about 150 megawatts of solar power in the country as a whole," the minister pointed out.
As reported, ZNPP is Europe's largest nuclear power plant. The invaders seized the plant in early March 2022. The plant is currently being used by the invaders as a military facility. Its territory is mined, and weapons are stored in the engine rooms. In addition, the Nikopol district is being shelled from the territory of the plant.