Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant staff on verge of “psychological breakdown” says Energoatom President

The staff of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine are on the verge of a “psychological breakdown” according to Petro Kotin the President of Energoatom, as reported on Wednesday, September 14.

The claims that the staff of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are on the verge of a psychological breakdown were made by the Energoatom President at a meeting.

On September 13, 2022, a meeting was held at Energoatom on the results of the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency mission at Zaporizhzhia NPP on ways to implement the recommendations provided by the IAEA.

The meeting was attended by Energoatom President Petro Kotin, SNRIU Acting Chairman Oleh Korikov, ZNPP Acting Director General Ihor Murashov and other experts.

“The main prerequisite and the only opportunity to implement the recommendations of the IAEA, which we received after the visit of the Agency’s mission to Zaporizhzhya NPP, in particular on the establishment of a security zone around ZNPP, is the complete de-occupation of the plant and Enerhodar, withdrawal of Russian military, equipment and weapons, as well as representatives of Rosatom from the plant site”, Petro Kotin noted.

This position was also supported by Oleh Korikov, who is convinced that the situation at Zaporizhzhia NPP can be returned to normal security condition only under the condition of de-occupation and demilitarization of the industrial site of the plant and the city of Enerhodar.

“We understand the security zone referred to in the IAEA recommendations only in the sense that it is a de-occupied, demilitarized, safe zone that meets all the fundamental principles of the IAEA,” he added.

The issues of ZNPP employees’ work were discussed separately. Petro Kotin reminded that the personnel of the plant, who has been working in extremely difficult conditions for more than six months, is very exhausted, but heroically performs their duties.

“De-occupation of not only the ZNPP site, but also the city of Enerhodar is also important because the personnel of the plant, who live in the satellite city, should work in normal conditions, rest after shifts and come to their workplaces in normal physical and psychological condition”, Petro Kotin emphasized.

He added that according to one of the IAEA recommendations, acceptable conditions should be created for all employees of the station.

“We are in constant contact with the management and employees of ZNPP, we know and share the position of the Director General of the plant on the protection and support of its personnel.”

“Currently, the psychological state of workers has deteriorated significantly, there is a huge pressure from the Russian invaders.”

“In fact, the staff is on the verge of a breakdown. People need to create normal conditions for work so that they perform their duties at the same level of safety as they worked 40 years before the Russian invaders entered ZNPP.”

“It is necessary to immediately resolve the issue of creating a demilitarized zone with the withdrawal of the invaders from the territory of the NPP”, said the head of Energoatom.

He stressed that despite the fact that the staff is really exhausted and it is very difficult for people, they heroically and responsibly perform their duties to maintain power units in a safe condition.

Energoatom will do everything possible to protect and support its personnel and their families.

The news follows reports that at 3.41 am on Sunday, September 11 (local time), power unit No. 6 of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest, was disconnected from the power grid and preparations are currently underway for its cooling and transfer to a cold state.