Yesterday at 20:25
All actions of the Russian occupiers at the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) are not just an information escalation, they are an escalation in the sphere of nuclear issues. This is the nuclear card that Russia plays all the time. In fact, the occupiers do not need the station as an industrial facility; for them it is an instrument of political blackmail. This opinion was voiced by nuclear safety expert, Harvard University researcher, Doctor of Political Science Maryana Budzherin on the FREEDOM TV channel.
“ZNPP is a nuclear power plant. And here the weight of the problem for the general public and for Western leaders is completely different than other threats manipulated by Russia,” the expert noted.
According to her, now no one can imagine how it is possible to reach an agreement with the Russian side regarding the deoccupation of the Zaporizhia NPP.
“On the one hand, the occupiers do not need this station; it cannot be restarted. This is a large industrial object that they simply hold in their hands, so to speak, like a suitcase without a handle. They have it, but it is of little use to the Russian side. The only benefit from this nuclear power plant for Russia is political blackmail, leverage over the international community and the information field,” emphasized Maryana Budzherin.
She also commented on the presence of the IAEA mission at the site and its impact on the situation.
“As for the presence of IAEA representatives, there is probably still some positivity left in the end, but it is gradually disappearing. That is, the results of their missions to Zaporizhia NPP are gradually fading away. Because the attitude towards Ukrainian personnel did not change even when IAEA representatives were constantly there. Torture and detentions of employees continue. Although it should be noted that IAEA representatives in several cases took part in negotiating with the Russian side on the release of some persons who were detained by Russia,” Budzherin noted.
As previously reported, the fourth power unit of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which previously operated in hot shutdown mode, was transferred to a cold state. Therefore, from now on, all six power units of Zaporizhia NPP are in a state of cold shutdown.
