Director General Of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Detained By Moscow

On Oct 1st, the Ukrainian state nuclear company Energoatom released a statement, saying Ihor Murashov, director general of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, was illegally detained by Russia and taken to an undisclosed location. Kyiv sought assistance from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and urged Moscow to immediately free Murashov.

The director general was reportedly stopped and detained by a Russian patrol on Sep 30th on his way from Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to the town of Enerhodar. Russian troops took him out of the car with his eyes blindfolded and drove him in an unknown direction. Energoatom President Petro Kotin said Murashov bore critical responsibility for the nuclear and radiation safety of the plant and his detention jeopardized the operational safety of the Ukrainian and European largest nuclear plant.

Since Moscow waged the aggressive war on Feb 24th, 2022, the continued shelling on the nuclear facility raised the widespread concerns among European countries. Two IAEA inspectors are staying permanently at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Energoatom exhorted Russian forces to immediately stop the terrorist acts against the management and personnel of the plant and called for IAEA to immediately take all possible actions to urge Putin regime to release Murashov as soon as possible.