General Staff: Russia forces Russian passports on 3,000 Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant workers
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In Russian-occupied Enerhodar, built around Europe's largest nuclear power plant, Russia forced about 3,000 workers of the plant to obtain Russian passports, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed forces said in its morning briefing.
Russian troops have occupied the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine since early March. They have used it as a military base to launch attacks at Ukrainian-controlled territory across the Dnipro River.
After staged referendums in September, Russia illegally annexed four Ukrainian oblasts in Ukraine, including Zaporizhzhia Oblast, that its forces only partially controlled.
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said on July 13 that the EU wouldn't recognize Russian passports issued to Ukrainian citizens in occupied territories.
The General Staff also said that Russian forces are threatening businessmen with fines and seizure of property. The Ukrainian currency, the hryvnia, was also reportedly taken out of circulation in the city.
According to the General Staff, the number of residential premises abandoned by locals that Russian troops have taken over in the city has increased significantly.
