Satellite images released on Monday show local fires and building damage at southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russian occupation troops are using as a shield. A photo taken by Maxar Technologies and obtained by Insider shows a handful of holes in the roof of a building at the power plant, which has been damaged by fires and explosions amid ongoing fighting and shelling in the area. Some of the holes appear to have dark burn marks around them, but it’s unclear exactly what caused them. This image specifically highlights the damage to the roof of a building at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies. Russian forces have occupied the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — the largest in Europe — since early March. Since then, international watchdogs have repeatedly expressed concerns that any fighting near the plant could cause major destruction. In recent weeks, hostilities and shelling around the plant have damaged the facility and disconnected it from the local power grid. Ukraine’s state energy operator last week blamed Russia for the disconnect — which it said was its first in a decade. Bombings earlier in August also caused a partial blackout at the factory.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense, among others, said in intelligence briefings that Russian forces appear to be using the plant’s protective status as a shield, leaving Ukraine reluctant to attack because it does not want to risk a nuclear accident. Nuclear watchdogs, meanwhile, are sounding the alarm that the safety and security of the plant must be ensured. International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said Monday that “the day has come” for a mission to travel to the nuclear plant to ensure and inspect its stability. He said the shipment would arrive later this week. Below are some other images of the Zaporizhzhia plant captured by Maxar on Monday, which show armored personnel carriers and smoke from nearby fires. Armored personnel carriers at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on August 29, 2022. Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies. A closer view of the reactors at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on August 29, 2022. Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies. Overview of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on August 29, 2022. Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies.