Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant costs Ukraine over $5 billion
Ukraine's nuclear energy agency Energoatom has lost over Hr 210 billion ($5.2 billion) due to Russia's occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Energoatom's acting head Petro Kotin said on June 18.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the largest nuclear power station in Europe, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022.
Speaking in an interview published on Energoatom's YouTube channel, Kotin said that losses amounted to Hr 35 billion ($862 million) in just the first week of Russian occupation.
The occupation has since cost Energoatom around Hr 6 billion ($148 million) every month, according to Kotin.
"To date, we have already lost more than Hr 210 billion ($5.2 billion) due to the fact that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is not working," Kotin said.
Russia's occupation of the ZNPP has led to heightened nuclear safety risks and Ukraine has repeatedly accused Moscow of using the plant as a launching site for drone attacks, presenting a serious security hazard.
Monitoring teams from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been based at the facility on rotation since September 2022, but Russian authorities still deny IAEA inspectors full access to the plant.
Chris York
