Russian occupiers asking locals to let them "take photos" next to Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant before they leave

Denys Karlovskyy — WEDNESDAY, 2 MARCH 2022, 20:53

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. PHOTO: ENERGOATOM

The Russian occupiers who surrounded Enerhodar and the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) are trying to persuade city authorities to allow them on the site of the nuclear power plant to take pictures, after which they promise to leave.

Source: Briefing by Energoatom head Petro Kotin

Quote from Kotina: "Russian invaders are coming out and trying to negotiate with Enerhodar's city leaders. They say they have a task from their leadership to occupy the city of Enerhodar and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

They even say that they just need to enter the city, take a photo of themselves against the backdrop of the ZNPP and send a report to their leadership in the Russian army, to the Ministry [of Defence], for propaganda that they control the city and nuclear power plant.

After that, they'll apparently leave our facilities".

Details: Energoatom stated that it had officially asked International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to establish a "control zone" with a 30-kilometer radius around the ZNPP so that Russian occupiers would not have the right to operate in this area.

Kotin said that the fighting and missile strikes by the Russian occupiers near the ZNPP pose an extremely high risk to residents' health and the environment.

According to Kotin, right now, about 22,000 residents of Enerhodar are blocking the Russian occupiers' passage at checkpoints set up at Enerhodar's entrances. Large trucks were also posted at the checkpoints. 

Background: On 2 March, Enerhodar Mayor Dmitro Orlov called on residents of the city to block passage into Enerhodar and ZNPP to the Russian occupiers' military equipment. People with Ukrainian flags are standing on the roads and blocking passage for the occupiers' military equipment.

A similar rally against the Russian occupiers was organised by the residents of Melitopol in Zaporizhia Region.