CBRN event in Ukraine on Thu 26th February 2026

When one thinks about the conditions at a nuclear power plant, the image that comes to mind would likely be very different from that which Russian workers at an occupied plant in Ukraine have created. Russian workers brought in to operate the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after it was seized in March 2022 have converted work areas into makeshift living quarters, which a former acting chief engineer said appears to violate plant safety rules and create a fire risk. Rosatom, the Russian nuclear giant, became the plant's operator after the occupation. Photos posted on Jan. 20 by Actual Energodar, a Telegram channel that publishes updates about Enerhodar and the occupied plant based in the city, show Rosatom workers using a plant room as a living space, with a kitchen setup and a festive table.