The Main Intelligence Directorate (known as GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine received evidence that the Russians are using kamikaze drones over the nuclear reactors of the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP).
This is reported by GUR.
A video from an enemy FPV drone obtained by electronic intelligence is marked UT4D.TT. This indicates that the Russian Ministry of Defense supplied the drone to the Russians.
The flight path of the Russian kamikaze drone runs over the ZNPP power units in the direction of the Nikopol and Marganets communities, which are subject to constant Russian attacks.
In a comment to Babel, the representative of the State Administration of Ukraine Andriy Chernyak emphasized that the Russians use the territory of the ZNPP to launch drones, because the Defense Forces of Ukraine cannot return fire in the one and a half kilometer zone around the plant.
The occupiers have equipped launch sites for their UAVs right next to the sixth reactor of the ZNPP. In addition, since the summer of 2023, the Russians have been using the territory of the captured nuclear power plant for training FPV drone pilots — this is done by the so-called "Archangel" UAV operator school, which is financed and supervised by the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.
- The ZNPP was occupied by the Russian military at the beginning of March 2022 and has been operating under their control since then. The station was completely disconnected from the power grid several times. From September 2022, the IAEA mission is stationed at the station. Ukraine insists on the withdrawal of the Russian occupiers from the station. President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasizes that while Russian soldiers are at the ZNPP, "the world remains on the brink of a nuclear disaster." Russia refuses to create a demilitarized zone at the ZNPP.
- At the beginning of April 2024, the IAEA stated that the Zaporizhzhia NPP was attacked at least three times by "unknown drones". Russian propaganda blamed Ukraine (earlier for the appearance of the IAEA statement). The agency did not name the party that attacked. As a result of the impacts, the surveillance and communication equipment was damaged, the upper part of the dome of the sixth power unit was burnt — there was no significant damage.