Russia stripping ZNPP of equipment, Kyiv says
Eduard Atakishchev, the Moscow-appointed deputy director of the occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), is allowing Russian occupiers to remove “surplus” equipment from the power plant, Ukraine’s National Resistance Center (NRC) reported on June 26.
According to the NRC, Atakishchev, who was dispatched from Russia’s Rostov, is responsible for signing fraudulent documents that allow the transfer of "suprlus" property from the ZNPP to Russia. He is also responsible for the accommodation of Russian troops at the facility.
Atakishchev is constantly surrounded by Russian troops during his rare appearances in nearby Enerhodar. He primarily resides in Moscow, the NRC notes. The report said that Atakishchev's actions are directed by Russia’s National Defense Management Center.
"This is further evidence that the Russians have systematically turned ZNPP into a military object," the message said.
On April 23, Ukraine’s SBU security service collected evidence against Atakishchev, who, along with another Russian national, Andrei Gorbunov, disconnected the ZNPP from Ukraine’s national power grid.
According to the SBU, before their appointments, they worked at the Rostov Nuclear Power Plant. They arrived in Russia-occupied part of Zaporizhzhya Oblast in October 2022 and “joined” the management team of the ZNPP.
The largest nuclear power plant in Europe, ZNPP has been under Russian occupation since March 2022.
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