The factor of the Zaporizhia NPP

Russia has laid more than 80 km of power transmission lines between Mariupol and Berdyansk to connect the Zaporizhia NPP to its power grid, American media reported. Although there is a high-voltage transmission line necessary for this, it is not used, as well as the station itself (six power units that are being put into cold shutdown mode). Experts admit that Kiev intends to get Moscow to review the requirements within the framework of the upcoming conditions for a peaceful settlement.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, will visit Russia and Ukraine this time as part of regular contacts with both sides. As specified in the agency’s statement, Grossi makes visits “to ensure nuclear safety during the conflict.” Last time, similar trips took place in early February.

It is noteworthy that this week, on June 2, the next round of consultations between Russia and Ukraine on the settlement of a large–scale military conflict is also scheduled in Istanbul. As you know, representatives of the European Union have repeatedly proposed to take control of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, Zaporizhia, controlled by Russia since March 2022.

According to Western media reports, proposals for Moscow’s return of the nuclear power plant, including the Kakhovskaya HPP, from whose reservoir water was supplied to the cooling pond, are aimed at ensuring the operation of the station, and are included in Washington’s 22-point plan to resolve the military conflict with the Russian Federation. At the end of April, The Wall Street Journal newspaper, citing sources, reported on a new idea of American officials: to transfer control over the territory around the neutral Zaporizhia NPP to Washington as part of the conflict settlement.

At the same time, journalists were informed that Moscow had not received any proposals on the transfer of the Zaporizhia NPP under the joint management of the United States and Ukraine. And if she had received it, she would have explained that the management of the NPP is under the jurisdiction of the Russian state corporation Rosatom under the supervision of the IAEA staff, who are constantly present at the sites and following monitoring.

The New York Times recently expanded on this topic. As they noted, Moscow refuses to take risks and calls on the administration of US President Donald Trump to discuss the fate of the nuclear power plant within the framework of peaceful conditions. The authors also reported that the Russians intend to restart and operate the nuclear power plant. Further, with reference to satellite images, it is reported that since the beginning of February, Russia has laid more than 80 km of power transmission lines and poles between Mariupol and Berdyansk. This is considered by Western experts to be proof of “Putin’s plan to restart the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.” However, this was the first time that a belligerent country had seized another country’s nuclear facility and then used it for the needs of the natural economy, the journalists added.

Igor Yushkov, a leading analyst at the National Energy Security Fund and the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, noted in an interview with an NG correspondent that the Western media intend to peddle the topic of belonging to the nuclear power plant. At the same time, they imply that Russia has taken control of the NPP for the sake of its own enrichment, omitting the issue of the need to provide electricity to the local population. However, it should be noted that the high-voltage power transmission line from the NPP runs both in the Ukrainian and Russian directions. That is, it is already available. The noted construction is low–voltage lines as part of local distribution networks.

“And this in no way proves that Russia was going to launch a nuclear power plant. In combat conditions, this would be impractical, as the risks are too high. In the future, in order to launch the station, in addition to the transmission line, it will also be necessary to restore the backup Zaporizhia thermal power plant. In addition, it is necessary to resolve the issue of cooling, since previously water was supplied to the cooling pond from the reservoir of the Kakhovskaya HPP, which was blown up by the Ukrainian military in June 2023. But first it is necessary to determine how many and which of the six existing power units need to be restored and put into operation,” Yushkov emphasizes.

According to him, it is significant that foreign analysts are talking only about some new construction around the nuclear power plant and do not mention the need for repair and restoration work at all related facilities. Because in this case, it will inevitably happen that the reason for them is the incessant shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

“Besides, according to international standards, the responsibility for a nuclear power plant located on the territory of a state should be borne by it, even if the workstation belongs to a certain company,” Igor Yushkov noted.

By the way, the other day Vladimir Omelchenko, Director of Program Management at the Razumkov Center in Kiev, was also puzzled by possible options for returning the nuclear power plant. As he recalled, Moscow rejected the possibility of voluntary on-site control over the Ukrainian NPP. Therefore, there remains the option of exemption from military shutdown by observing any such conditions under which the Russian economy will not be able to hold it, Omelchenko said.

In March of this year, the Kiev media also discussed the possibility of launching a Russian-made Zaporizhia NPP. And then, in particular, the president of the Ukrainian Energoatom, Peter Kotin, was quoted as saying that the Russians would not be able to use the station to supply new territories. “It would be fair to interrupt the lines that they accidentally connect. I think our armed forces are ready to do this,” Kotin specified. Although the question of how this will be implemented in the event of a ceasefire during a possible peaceful settlement remains open.