A nuclear power plant in Ukraine said on Saturday that Russian forces had blindfolded and detained the head of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, rekindling long-standing concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants.
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Friday’s allegations of kidnapping came as Russian President Vladimir Putin escalated the war in Ukraine, annexing four regions of Ukraine controlled entirely or partially by Russia, and escalating the threat of nuclear forces. It seems to have happened just after pushing the war into a new and dangerous phase.
In a possible attempt to secure Moscow’s control over the newly annexed territory, Russian forces detained the director of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, Ihor Murashov, around 4 p.m. on Friday, Ukraine’s state nuclear company said. Energoatom said.
Putin on Friday signed a treaty to absorb the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions of Ukraine, including the areas around the nuclear power plant.
Energoatom said Russian forces stopped Murashov’s car, blindfolded him, and took him to an undisclosed location.
“His detention (by Russia) endangers the safety of Ukraine and Europe’s largest nuclear power plant,” Energoatom president Petro Kocin called for the immediate release of the plant’s director.
Russia did not immediately admit to detaining the plant manager.
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The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Saturday that Russia said “the director of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant has been temporarily detained to answer questions.”
The Vienna-based IAEA said, “in line with its nuclear safety mandate,” it was “actively seeking clarification and hopes for a prompt and satisfactory resolution of the matter.”
The power plant has been repeatedly caught in war shootouts in Ukraine. Ukrainian engineers continued to operate the plant after Russian forces seized it. The last reactor he was shut down in September as a precautionary measure because of constant shelling near damaged power lines to the plant.
The plant was a strategic booty for Russia and caused global concern as the only nuclear power plant involved in modern warfare. Active fighting in the vicinity means that even if Russia establishes its own control regime, it is unlikely to resume power generation anytime soon.
It looks like the town itself, with about 11,000 workers before the war. Many fled during the fighting, but some remained to ensure the safety of radioactive materials and structures.
An Energoatom spokesperson told The Associated Press on Saturday that Zaporizhia power plant employees were forced to submit an application to report to Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear power plant, which operates the country’s nuclear power plants. He said it is.
Murashov opposed handing over the Zaporizhzhia plant to Rosatom, but an Energoatom spokesperson could not confirm that this was the reason for his kidnapping.
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According to an Energoatom spokesperson, Murashov had access to security codes, coordinated all work at the plant, ensured protocols were being followed, and reported to Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities appointed him manager of the factory days before Russian troops entered Ukraine.
Nevertheless, Energoatom said it has not lost connection with the power plant and all key parameters of its work are still being reported to Kyiv.