New Chernobyl risk: Energodar protects nuclear power plants from Putin’s troops

By Vasylyna Duman, for the Military Portal of Ukraine

Workers at the local nuclear power plant and people living in Energodar are driving the occupiers 30-kilometer distance away from the nuclear power plant for the second day, as required by the Geneva Convention.

Energodar is a city in the Zaporizhia region. This is the northwest of Ukraine – one of the areas that are aggressively attacked by the Russians. Energodar is home to the largest nuclear power plant in Europe – Zaporizhzhya NPP. Population – more than 50,000 people.

Residents of Energodar are well aware of the importance of ensuring sustainable and uninterrupted operation of the power plant. They know what can happen if the NPP algorithm is violated. Putin’s military commanders should also know. But their actions show that their goal is to interfere with the normal operation of the station.

On February 26, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that the Russians were setting up Grady artillery systems near Energodar for the city and the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant.

With these videos, Vadym Denysenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Minister, is now reporting to the public on the situation in the country.

On March 1, a column of enemy vehicles approached the city. Ukrainians detained them for two hours.

“I am grateful and impressed by the courage and heroism of our residents. They went out without weapons and built a living chain more than a kilometer long and did not let the enemy and his equipment into the city, ”said Energodar Mayor Dmytro Orlov.

The video was recorded on the morning of March 2. He is standing at a checkpoint – people have dug ditches, put concrete blocks and sandbags so that the occupiers could not pass.

During the day the situation was repeated twice more. The convoy was approaching, the mayor was shouting in the Telegram.

Smutty Orlov – Mayor of Energodar:
“ Attention!!! Right now enemy is trying to enter Energodar again. We are asking everyone to quickly come to the block post, we won’t let them in together. Waiting for all of you!”

And people quickly gathered in crowds of thousands and blocked the way for the occupiers. It’s hard to imagine in the 21st century, but they sang the Ukrainian national anthem, carried the national blue and yellow flags, and stood in front of machine gun barrels. The tanks turned.

By the way, foreign media that cover Russia’s war against Ukraine are skeptical of Telegram as a source of information. But this social network has become very popular in Ukraine during the few days of the war and people use it to exchange instant messages, it has official pages of government officials at various levels and opinion leaders.

As of March 2, the city municipality and the community of Energodar did not allow Russian tanks into their city. They negotiated with the occupiers twice on their own. The Russians had to listen, otherwise they would have to crush thousands of people with tanks

After the next round of talks, Mayor Orlov informs the community of the results (calls local place names, but you can understand the context that they wanted to get closer, but had to go further. – Author):
“They offered to place their two checkpoints: on the road between Energodar and the Dnieper turn, and at the upper entrance to the city. We told them that we could not guarantee their safety if they approached the city. Extremely accurate, which will keep the city in tension, but the pressure will not be critical – this is the route in the area of ​​Nova Dniprovka.

So far, the Russian tanks have left. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.

“One man’s condition is very serious, the other received moderate injuries. People are hospitalized, ”the mayor told Energodar.

Meanwhile, the city is maintaining a fragile balance, raging anger at foreigners who came with the war and looking forward to the help of the international community. Because Energodar is a Ukrainian city, the Russian army has nothing to do here. And the nuclear power plant is too dangerous an object to take lightly.

By the way, the townspeople placed a billboard at the entrance to Energodar. There is a social advertisement with the words of the Ukrainian border guard to Russian ships in response to the offer to surrender.
The billboard reads: Ru