The Battle of Enerhodar was a military engagement between the Russian Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the Kherson offensive of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine over the city of Enerhodar in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Enerhodar is the location of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, generating nearly half of the country's electricity derived from nuclear power and more than a fifth of total electricity generated in Ukraine,[1] as well as the nearby thermal power station.
Battle[]
On 28 February, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that they captured the city of Enerhodar and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.[2][3] However, the mayor of Enerhodar, Dmytro Orlov, denied that the city and the power plant had been captured.[4] Local citizens later barricaded the road to the plant and the entrance to the city, forcing the Russian forces to turn back.[5][6]
On 1 March, Ukrainian officials stated that Russian forces had surrounded the city, with a Russian convoy heading into Enerhodar around 14:00.[7][8] According to Orlov, the city had difficulties obtaining food.[7] In the evening, a protest by local residents blocked Russian forces from entering the city.[8]
In the morning of 2 March, Orlov stated that Russian troops were again approaching the city.[9] Protestors again blocked the roads; protestors carried Ukrainian flags and used garbage trucks as part of the blockade.[10] Orlov told Ukrinform that two people were wounded when Russian soldiers allegedly threw grenades at a crowd of civilians.[11][12][13] By 18:00, the protest included two hundred residents, as well as power plant workers. Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, stated that the IAEA had been informed by Russian authorities that Russian forces were in control of territory around the nuclear power plant.[10]
At 11:28pm local time on the 3 March 2022, a column of 10 Russian armored vehicles and two tanks cautiously approached the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.[14][15][16] The action commenced at 12:48am on the 4 March when Ukraine forces fired anti tank missiles and Russian forces responded with a variety of weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades.[15] During approximately two hours of heavy fighting a fire broke out in a training facility outside of the main complex, which was extinguished by 6:20am,[17][18] though other sections surrounding the plant sustained damage.[15] Later that day, IAEA confirmed that the safety systems of the plant had not been affected and their was no release of radioactive material.[19]
Russian forces also entered Enerhodar and took control of it.[20][21] Orlov stated that the city lost its heating supply as a result of the battle.[22]
Aftermath[]
Oleksandr Starukh, the governor of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, stated on 5 March that Russian forces had left the city after looting it and the situation in the city was completely under control of local authorities. However, Orlov denied the report and stated that Russian forces still occupied the perimeter of the city and the power plant, with local authorities still managing the city.[23] The Ukrainian military administration for the southeast confirmed on 7 March that Enerhodar was under control of Russian forces.[24]
On 6 March, the IAEA released a statement saying that Russian forces were interfering in the operations of the power plant, stating that "any action of plant management – including measures related to the technical operation of the six reactor units – requires prior approval by the Russian commander," and further stating that "Russian forces at the site have switched off some mobile networks and the internet so that reliable information from the site cannot be obtained through the normal channels of communication".[25]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ "SS "Zaporizhzhia NPP"". https://www.energoatom.com.ua/en/about-6/separated-59/npp_zp-60.
- ↑ "Russian forces take control of Ukraine's Berdyansk, Enerhodar – Russian Defense Ministry". https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/74698/.
- ↑ "Russia's war in Ukraine: complete guide in maps, video and pictures" (in en). 28 February 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/28/russias-war-in-ukraine-complete-guide-in-maps-video-and-pictures.
- ↑ "Енергодар і Запорізька АЕС під контролем ЗСУ: мер міста просить не вірити фейкам" (in uk). Fakty i Kommentarii. 28 February 2022. https://fakty.com.ua/ua/ukraine/20220228-energodar-i-zaporizka-aes-pid-kontrolem-zsu-mer-mista-prosyt-ne-viryty-fejkam/.
- ↑ "Enerhodar, i cittadini davanti all'ingresso città: barricate per proteggere la centrale nucleare" (in it). 28 February 2022. https://video.repubblica.it/dossier/crisi_in_ucraina_la_russia_il_donbass_i_video/energodar-i-cittadini-fanno-barricate-per-proteggere-la-citta/409460/410164.
- ↑ Julia (28 February 2022). "Жители Энергодара без оружия остановили колонну российских оккупантов, – ВИДЕО" (in ru). First Zaprohziya. http://1news.zp.ua/ru/zhiteli-energodara-bez-oruzhiya-ostanovili-kolonnu-rossijskih-okkupantov-video/. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Рада оборони Енергодара перейшла на цілодобовий режим роботи, місто в оточенні" (in Ukrainian). 1 March 2022. https://www.061.ua/news/3340996/rada-oboroni-energodara-perejsla-na-cilodobovij-rezim-roboti-misto-v-otocenni.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Mieszkańcy Enerhodaru wyszli na ulicę, żeby zatrzymać Rosjan. Bronią elektrowni jądrowej" (in pl). 2 March 2022. https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/swiat/mieszkancy-enerhodaru-blokuja-rosjanom-wjazd-do-miasta-bronia-elektrowni-jadrowej/6tvdwys.
- ↑ "The mayor of Energodar says Russian troops approaching the city. The largest nuclear power plant in Europe (according to Wikipedia) is placed in this city". 2 March 2022. https://liveuamap.com/en/2022/2-march-the-mayor-of-energodar-says-russian-troops-approaching.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Sangal, Aditi; Vogt, Adrienne; Wagner, Meg; Yeung, Jessie; Renton, Adam; Berlinger, Josh; Noor Haq, Sana; Upright, Ed (2 March 2022). "Live Updates – Russia invades Ukraine". https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-02-22/h_b4d36b10e4e500bbf4f7150efc521633.
- ↑ "Russian military threw grenades at civilians who came out to defend own village". Ukrinform. 3 March 2022. https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3418260-russian-military-threw-grenades-at-civilians-who-came-out-to-defend-own-village.html.
- ↑ Orlov's Telegram Archived 3 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine., 09:59, 3 March 2022
- ↑ "Russia Ukraine conflict: More than 2,000 civilians dead in first week of invasion, says Ukraine". Channel 4 News. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqNuZDeMrKQ&t=77s.
- ↑ "Прямая трансляция пользователя Запорізька АЕС". Запорізька АЕС. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYUT36YGOh8.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Video analysis reveals Russian attack on Ukrainian nuclear plant veered near disaster". NPR. 11 March 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/03/11/1085427380/ukraine-nuclear-power-plant-zaporizhzhia.
- ↑ "Security Council debates Russian strike on Ukraine nuclear power plant". UN News. 4 March 2022. https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/03/1113302.
- ↑ "Ukraine nuclear power plant attack: All you need to know". Al Jazeera. 4 March 2022. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/4/zaporizhzhia-nuclear-power-plant-attack-all-you-need-to-know.
- ↑ Update on the human rights situation in Ukraine (Reporting period: 24 February – 26 March) United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine
- ↑ "Update 11 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine". 4 March 2022. https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-11-iaea-director-general-statement-on-situation-in-ukraine.
- ↑ "RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, MARCH 4". Institude for the Study of War. 4 March 2022. https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-4.
- ↑ Vira Kasiyan (March 4, 2022). "Енергодар: окупанти знову зайшли в місто" (in Ukrainian). Lb.ua. https://lb.ua/society/2022/03/04/507972_energodar_okupanti_znovu_zayshli.html. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
- ↑ Mazurenko Alyona (March 4, 2022). "Енергодар залишився без тепла" (in Ukrainian). Ukrayinska Pravda. https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2022/03/4/7328252/. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
- ↑ "Российские войска покинули Энергодар: последствия обстрелов (уточнено)" (in Ukrainian). Gazeta.ua. March 5, 2022. https://m.gazeta.ua/ru/articles/regions/_rossijskie-vojska-pokinuli-energodar-posledstviya-obstrelov-utochneno/1074035. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
- ↑ "Ukraine after 11th night of war: Mayor killed, towns taken, Moscow promises civilian corridors to Russia". Baltic News Network. 7 March 2022. https://bnn-news.com/ukraine-after-11th-night-of-war-mayor-killed-towns-taken-moscow-promises-civilian-corridors-to-russia-233013. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ↑ "Russian forces interfering at Ukraine nuclear plant: IAEA". Al-Jazeera. 6 March 2022. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/6/staff-at-ukraines-nuclear-plant-now-under-russian-order-iaea.
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The original article can be found at Battle of Enerhodar and the edit history here.