According to the Russian occupation administration, the Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is not affected by the partial evacuation of the Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia. “Currently there is no need to evacuate the workers of the power plant and the residents of the city (Enerhodar, NB),” said the Russian authorities’ appointed director of the plant, Yuri Chernichuk, today. “There is no need to worry. All reactors (of the power plant, ed.) are shut down,” he explained.
The day before, Moscow-appointed head of administration for the Zaporizhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, ordered the partial evacuation of 18 Russian-occupied towns in the Zaporizhia region, including Enerhodar, where the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is located.
Families with children, the elderly, the disabled and patients and hospital patients are affected. Balizki justified this by saying that there had been an increase in Ukrainian bombing raids in the past few days.
Controlled by Russian Army since 2022
The Russian news agency TASS, citing another occupation administration official, reported that the Russian authorities planned to evacuate around 70,000 people from locations in the region.
The nuclear power plant has been controlled by the Russian army since March 2022. It was repeatedly shelled, fueling fears of a nuclear catastrophe.
The Russian occupation authorities announced similar evacuations in the Cherson region last fall. They took place shortly before an offensive in which the Ukrainian army was able to recapture the regional capital of the same name, which had been occupied by Russian forces.
