The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant (NPP), occupied by Russian troops, transferred unit No. 4 from the cold shutdown state to hot shutdown, which increases the likelihood of a radiation accident, Energoatom said.

In addition, according to the IAEA, unit No. 6 of the Zaporizhia NPP is being transferred from hot shutdown to the cold one.

"The presence of Russian military, weapons and heavy equipment at the Zaporizhia NPP site, as well as non-compliance with the requirements of licenses from the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate leads to the inevitable degradation of the plant's equipment and systems important for safety. This can lead not only to an increase in the number of equipment failures, but also trigger a radiation accident," President of Energoatom Petro Kotin said.

He noted that compliance with licensing requirements for the operation of nuclear power units is the key to safe operation of nuclear power plants, and this means the safety of personnel, the population and the environment.

"Licensing requirements are based not only on the provisions of the rules and regulations in force in Ukraine, but also take into account many years of domestic and international experience in operating nuclear power plants," the head of Energoatom emphasized.

Energoatom recalled that according to the requirements of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate licenses for the operation of Zaporizhia NPP power units, which were amended in June of this year, all units of the plant must be exclusively in the cold shutdown state. Transferring power units to the hot shutdown state is prohibited.

"Such requirements for the operation of Zaporizhia NPP power units were put forward due to the lack of timely and high-quality technical maintenance and necessary routine repairs of equipment during the entire period of occupation of the plant. But the fake administration neglects not only the legal requirements of the legitimate operator, Energoatom, but also common sense," Kotin added.

The company recalled that the actions of the occupiers had already led to a number of emergency situations. In particular, at power unit No. 4, as a result of its heating, radioactive coolant (water) leaked from the first to the second circuit, which is a violation of one of the barriers to the spread of radioactive contamination.

A similar situation occurred when the Russian occupiers tried to "warm up" power unit No. 6. In addition, its transfer to hot shutdown resulted in a significant increase in the amount of liquid radioactive waste on site, with potential harm to personnel, the public and the environment.