Truth Hounds: Russians illegally detained over 200 civilians in Energodar. They were tortured, and some were forced to work with “Rosatom”

After the occupation of Energodar, the Russians began mass persecution of Ukrainian civilians, including those who participated in the resistance to the Russian occupation, and their relatives, the ZNPP employees, and former military personnel.

At least 226 Ukrainians were illegally detained, tortured physically and psychologically. Some of the detainees were forced to sign contracts with Rosatom.

This is stated in a report by the human rights organization Truth Hounds.

According to human rights activists, the first detentions began in March 2022. Between March 10 and 15, the Russian occupation administration and the military began approaching Ukrainian employees of ZNPP and summoning some of them for "interviews", in fact, for interrogation.

“The occupiers began to look for pro-Ukrainian people directly at the station. They learned about them through pressure. Then they began to look for those who had weapons, who even indirectly participated in the defense of the city, in the Territorial Defence Forces. They came to detain people directly at the station, if they were nuclear engineers, and detained them at work,” one of the ZNPP employees told Truth Hounds.

Truth Hounds documented at least two instances of “interviews” with the ZNPP personnel in late March 2022 and at least 11 similar incidents as of mid-September 2022.

In late May 2022, the Russian occupation authorities intensified the kidnapping and detention of civilians in Energodar after the assassination attempt on the collaborator, the occupation “mayor” of the city Andriy Shevchyk. In late September 2022, after the Russian pseudo-referendum in Energodar, the number of kidnappings, detentions, as well as cases of inhuman treatment and torture of civilians, including the ZNPP personnel, increased sharply.

Truth Hounds has found that Russian forces have established at least seven illegal detention facilities in Energodar and surrounding areas. The Russian occupiers have also illegally detained at least 226 residents of Energodar and employees of ZNPP, including:

• 66 participants in the resistance to the Russian occupation of Energodar;
• 6 former servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• 3 relatives of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• 78 Ukrainian employees of ZNPP;
• 11 gun owners;
• 102 ordinary civilians, residents of Energodar, including entrepreneurs.

Some people on this list had multiple statuses at the same time (for example, civilian, the ZNPP employee, and participant in the occupation resistance).

Ukrainians were held in overcrowded detention centers, where prisoners were physically and psychologically tortured to extract information, punish dissent, intimidate, and force confessions and cooperation.

Russian troops deprived detainees of food, water, and medical care. Beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence, mock executions, and threats to family members of detainees were common practices.

During interrogations, the occupying forces often sought to obtain information about resistance activities, the availability of weapons, and ties to the Ukrainian military. Some detainees were forced to sign a cooperation agreement or contract with “Rosatom”, and many detainees were videotaped making false statements praising Russian forces or discrediting Ukraine for propaganda purposes.

The Truth Hounds investigation shows that such abuses were widespread and systematic actions directed against the civilian population. In addition, the attacks deliberately targeted certified personnel and specialists with unique technical skills necessary for the smooth operation of the ZNPP reactor. This created risks to the safe operation of the plant and increased the possibility of an accident.

In its conclusions to the report, Truth Hounds calls on foreign governments to cease cooperation with “Rosatom” and impose sanctions against the company for its role in the persecution of Ukrainians in Energodar, and for justice authorities to investigate crimes against Ukrainians, including “Rosatom” role.

• Energodar has been under Russian occupation since March 4, 2022. The Russians have also seized the Zaporizhzhia NPP, which is located in the city. Ukraine insists on the withdrawal of Russian occupiers from the plant. Russia refuses to create a demilitarized zone at ZNPP.
• There have been ten blackouts at ZNPP since the occupation. Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of posing a threat to the nuclear and radiation safety of Europeʼs largest nuclear facility.

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