Ukraine Reports: Russian Military Vehicles Spotted at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Facility

BERLIN — Recently surfaced drone footage of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, currently under Russian control in Ukraine, reveals the presence of Russian military vehicles within the compound, potentially constituting a violation of international legal standards.

Defense News has independently confirmed the location of the footage as the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility in Enerhodar, a city seized by Russian troops during the major conflict escalation in Ukraine that began in early 2022. The footage was first made available online on a Wednesday morning, European time, and has been extensively circulated within Ukrainian Telegram channels that focus on the ongoing conflict and distribute combat footage.

The video showcases several vehicles with military-style camouflage parked beneath a bridge that links the nuclear reactors to the radioactive waste handling facilities. Additionally, a larger vehicle, possibly a KamAZ military truck, is stationed near a building used for laboratory and administrative purposes. The grainy quality of the video, however, makes it challenging to confirm the exact model of the truck.

Defense News has verified that the snowy conditions shown in the video align with the recent weather patterns in Zaporizhia, as confirmed by historical satellite data and meteorological reports. This region had not experienced significant snowfall this winter until earlier this week, lending credibility to the footage’s timeliness.

Vladyslav Voloshyn, representing the Defence Forces of Ukraine, shared the video, commenting, “The Russians are exploiting the fact that we will not target a nuclear facility by hiding their military assets here. They are using the ZNPP premises as a training area for their drone operators. There have also been multiple instances of MLRS attacks launched from this location against Zaporizhia.”

However, Defense News has not been able to independently verify these specific allegations.

The Zaporizhzhia power station, which is the largest nuclear plant in Europe, is currently in a state of cold shutdown. This means that the nuclear reactions have been stopped and no electricity is being produced, though the nuclear material remains on-site and must be continuously cooled to prevent a meltdown. This cooling process is dependent on a consistent power supply from external sources and backup generators.

International humanitarian law generally prohibits the use of nuclear facilities for military purposes. According to Article 56 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, during armed conflicts, parties must endeavor to avoid placing military objectives, such as troops, weapons, or vehicles, in close proximity to nuclear power installations.

Additionally, nuclear facilities are granted special protection against attacks that could potentially unleash harmful radioactive materials, thereby causing severe civilian casualties, as stated in the Geneva Conventions.

Throughout the conflict, there have been numerous accusations against Russia for using the nuclear plant’s grounds to store military equipment and ammunition.

Following an inspection in September 2022, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the global nuclear oversight body, reported seeing Russian military personnel and their equipment, including trucks, within the turbine halls of reactors 1 and 2, and under the overpass connecting the reactor units.

The IAEA continues to monitor the situation, although their efforts are often obstructed by Russian interference. In July 2024, when the IAEA attempted to investigate the presence of land mines and other explosives within the facility, Russian authorities denied them access to critical areas, including the rooftops of certain reactor blocks and parts of the cooling system previously reported to host military equipment.

The plant has also been the target of military actions and shelling, occasionally severing its connection to the power grid and necessitating the activation of emergency generators.