During the August bombardment, Ukrainian shells were reported to have landed in the zone where radioactive isotopes are stored at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. This finding was communicated by Yevhen Balitsky, head of the pro-Russian administration for the Zaporizhzhia region, according to TASS. Balitsky noted that at least three strikes hit the area containing nuclear waste, and station personnel were instructed to seek shelter in protected buildings. He insisted that radiation levels in the wake of Ukrainian actions remained normal and that precautions had been prepared should there be a need to evacuate Energodar residents from a nuclear waste facility incident. He also claimed that a large quantity of radioactive material, thousands of tons of waste, is stored in the area and that relocating it would enable the region to become life-sustaining again. The bombardment also damaged transmission lines leading to the Kakhovska substation, Balitsky added, explaining that a high-voltage line was grounded for restoration and that smoke observed online was linked to the power-line work and a resulting fire that firefighters were battling at the scene. [Balitsky, official statement]
The Kyiv-aligned narrative has accused Ukrainian forces of deliberately targeting the nuclear waste storage facility at Zaporizhzhia with the aim of provoking radiation release. Balitsky described the incident as an attempt to create a so-called dirty bomb on Ukrainian soil, with the goal of forcing evacuations and triggering air pollution that would render the region uninhabitable. Concrete protection for the warehouse remains in place, and no direct hit on the facility has been confirmed. Balitsky also indicated that the detonations were approximately 300 meters from the plant and that some unexploded shells were found a short distance from the storage area. He warned that a precise hit on the concrete yard could have catastrophic consequences akin to the Chernobyl disaster. [Balitsky, official statement]
On the night and morning of July 11, Russian air defenses reportedly repelled Ukrainian attacks on Energodar and the Zaporizhzhia NPP using aircraft and heavy artillery. Since the start of August, Ukrainian forces are said to have attempted multiple strikes around the plant and Energodar, including several attacks on August 5 near the plant site, on August 6 where facilities in Energodar were set ablaze, and another reported assault on August 7. [Energoatom briefing]
AFU Zaporizhzhia should shoot at the NPP
On August 10, Petr Kotin, head of Energoatom, articulated a controversial view: if Rosatom connects the plant to Russian electrical grids, Ukraine should respond with artillery against the plant’s transmission lines. He suggested that such a move would be a legitimate decision for Ukraine, and indicated that Ukrainian forces would be prepared to implement it if necessary. [Kotin, Energoatom remarks]
Kotin further explained that transferring the plant’s capacity to Crimea would require completely disconnecting the facility from Ukraine’s energy system and routing power through the Dzhankoy and Kakhovka substations. He also argued that once Ukraine integrates into a European energy framework, all areas under Russian influence would need to be isolated because the Ukrainian and Russian power systems reportedly operate on different frequencies. Energodar remains home to one of Europe’s largest nuclear power facilities, with six units on site and a capacity that has historically supplied a significant portion of Ukraine’s electricity. Plans have included routing some output from Zaporizhzhia to Crimea and Sevastopol. [Kotin, Energoatom briefing]
Zaporizhzhia NPP, described as Europe’s largest, sits beside the Kakhovka reservoir in Energodar. While Russian forces control parts of the Zaporizhzhia region, including Energodar, the plant itself remains operated by Ukrainian personnel. This status forms part of the broader narrative around the plant’s strategic importance and the contested control of its infrastructure by conflicting parties. [General situational overview]