Siege of Enerhodar | |||||||
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Part of the Kherson offensive in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | |||||||
The state of the siege of Enerhodar on 1 March 2022 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Russia | Ukraine | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Russian Armed Forces | Civilian militias | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | Unknown |
The Siege of Enerhodar was a military engagement and siege 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.
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] From 16:00 to 18:00, 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][dubious – discuss] 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]
On 3 March, Russian forces began assaulting the power plant.[14] Russian shelling caused an administrative building and one of the power plant's six units to catch fire.[15][16] A facility spokesman stated that the reactor involved was under renovation, but contained nuclear fuel. Firefighters were unable to reach the fire due to the fighting.[17] The IAEA was notified by Ukraine after a large number of Russian tanks and infantry broke through Ukrainian defenses.[18] Both the IAEA and United States Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm stated that there were no signs of elevated radiation levels.[19][20]
In the morning of 4 March, firefighters were given access to the power plant and were able to extinguish the fire.[21] Later in the morning, Russian troops captured the plant after confirming that there were no changes to radiation levels.[22][23] The Russian military then proceeded to enter Enerhodar and took control of it.[24][25] Enerhodar's mayor said the town lost its heating supply as a result of the battle.[26]
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.[27] The Ukrainian military administration for the southeast confirmed on 7 March that Enerhodar was under control of Russian forces.[28]
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".[29]