Missing power engineers and the mined ZNPP. How Europe's largest nuclear power plant lives under occupation

On the night of 11 April, Tripilska TPP, the largest electricity supplier in Kyiv, Cherkasy and Zhytomyr regions, was virtually destroyed. Fortunately, the personnel managed to move to shelter. On the same day, the occupiers dropped an aerial bomb on the Sumy thermal power plant, and two weeks earlier they destroyed the Zmievskaya thermal power plant in Kharkiv region. Now infrastructure in areas bordering the border or less protected by air defences regularly comes under heavy shelling. Some regions are reverting to electricity conservation. Kharkiv, for example, has been forced to stop the metro several times. And blackouts in the capital are expected when the load increases, for example, from air conditioners.

Ukraine managed to get through this winter, unlike the previous one, without blackouts, but now the situation looks more and more threatening due to the change of tactics of the Russians and the delay of the allies.

Meanwhile, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, the six-block Zaporizhzhya NPP, has been under occupation for more than two years. The invaders have placed military equipment and mines on its territory, and observers have recently been fixated by drone explosions.

Socportal asked Pavlo Prudnikov, deputy chairman of the Atomprofspilka, who returned to this position after a serious injury at the front, to share his predictions for the Ukrainian nuclear industry under war conditions.

According to the union, at least seven of its activists from Energodar, a satellite town of the power plant, are missing.

We have a list of people, which we handed over to international institutions, to the European Commission. As of today, it is seven people. There can be many motives in this regard, any motives. A person, for example, refused to sign a contract with Russia to work at a power plant. Or was walking down the street and did not show a document. Or the FSB studied video footage of our people standing at the entrance to Energodar in a big chain, not letting the occupants into the city. They learnt from their faces, identified them, took them out for interrogation, if they did not like something. Any suspicion of public activity or any activity in favour of Ukraine could be a reason for disappearance," says the trade union activist.

According to him, about half of the staff left for the de-occupied territory of Ukraine, the same number remains in Energodar.

Those who have not signed contracts with the fake Russian organisation (meaning Rosatom, which is now trying to subjugate ZNPP - ed.) continue to receive payments. Someone is registered for downtime, someone is registered for remote work. They continue to be paid wages, not in full, but they continue," says Pavel Prudnikov.

Now the company Energoatom, which manages Ukrainian nuclear power plants, is trying to create additional jobs at other operating nuclear power plants - Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and South Ukraine.

But there are not enough jobs for all the people who left. Especially those that meet the qualifications. And even if jobs are created, there are only small satellite towns near the three NPPs, and there is not such a large choice of housing stock there. It's not like coming to Kiev. There are problems even with renting, not only with buying. So people may simply not find a place to live," says the trade union activist.

According to him, almost one and a half thousand ZNPP workers have left for the EU countries.

I myself met one of the workers there when I was on rehabilitation in Germany. He came and told me: "Here is my wife, here are my children. Here I am here at the Job Centre on the "social security", I receive four hundred euros per person, here is the flat that the Job Centre rents me, here are the German courses I attend. When I learn German, I hope to find a job that meets my qualifications. Highly qualified. And without German, I won't get a job. There are 1,500 of our workers there. And I think that if they find a job, they are unlikely to return," the deputy head of Atomprofsoyuz said.

According to him, today about 30 thousand people work in the nuclear industry of Ukraine. However, the Atomprofsoyuz has a total of 50 thousand members, as it includes not only nuclear workers, but also employees of the uranium mining industry, enterprises of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and environmental projects such as national nature parks. At the same time, the latter have experienced almost the greatest devastation.

The Nizhnedneprovsky National Nature Park essentially ceased to exist after the Kakhovka reservoir was blown up. And Desnyansko-Starogutsky National Nature Park in Sumy region actually ceased to exist, because its territory, and where the workers live, continue to be levelled to the ground, - says Pavlo Prudnikov.

According to him, the water level in the ZNPP's technical reservoirs dropped due to the Kakhovka dam blowing up in the summer of 2023.

So far in the cooling stakes manage to keep the required level. But take into account that the plant is not working, it is in a state of cold shutdown. Because the Russians have not yet managed to connect it to their power grid," says the trade union activist.

He notes that the future of ZNPP is difficult to predict.

Today no one can say when the war will end, nor on what terms. If, for example, there will be an offensive and they (Russians - ed) will be forced to withdraw, who can say that they will not blow up certain facilities on the principle - don't let anyone get you. The perimeter of the ZNPP is mined, the coast of the Kakhovka reservoir was mined there even before it was blown up. Armoured vehicles, military equipment, they are driven into the production facilities with ammunition," warns the deputy head of the Atomprofsoyuz.

However, he reiterates that it is the energy infrastructure that now looks most threatening to the Russians' attacks.

I am afraid for the infrastructure. Open switchgears, transmission lines. You see the trend. Not point-blank strikes, but just complete destruction of any infrastructure. You don't have to hit a reactor. It's enough to disrupt the infrastructure, and the plant won't work. For example, damage to the same high-voltage lines or transformers affects the operation of our plants," emphasises Pavel Prudnikov.

What can protect the Ukrainian energy system

Ukrainian authorities regularly emphasise at meetings with allies that the country desperately needs to strengthen its air defence.

"I do not want to spoil the birthday celebrations, but my main message today will be - Patriots," the Ukrainian foreign minister said in Brussels on 4 April at the celebration of the 75th anniversary of NATO.

According to him, Ukraine has managed to find more than 100 available installations and the country is currently working on obtaining seven batteries. This will help protect Ukraine's largest cities and counter Russian aircraft closer to the front line.

However, in an interview with The Washington Post published on 10 April, Kuleba admitted to feeling deeply frustrated by his partners' procrastination.

I feel like I am hitting the wall with my own head, even though I am a diplomat, which means I have to dismantle the wall brick by brick. But since this kind of diplomacy doesn't work, I feel like hitting the wall. I just don't understand why this (Patriots' transfer) is not happening," he said.

According to Kuleba, he was forced to change his diplomatic rhetoric to a tougher one, and even offered countries to borrow Patriot, promising to return the batteries as soon as needed. The cost of one installation is known to be around one billion dollars.

At the same time, EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg point out what the allies need as soon as possible. Moreover, on 11 April, the European Parliament refused to approve the European Council funding until Ukraine receives 7 Patriot systems. The decision, which was supported by 515 MPs and opposed by 62, was initiated by former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt.