"Stealing Everything and Putting It in the Bag"
"Expected Retreat After Transferring Jurisdiction to IAEA"
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Petro Kotin, the head of Energoatom, Ukraine's state-owned nuclear power company, claimed that Russian forces are preparing to withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which they currently occupy. As the situation on the front lines worsens for the Russian military, maintaining the front around the nuclear plant has become difficult, and with increasing safety risks around the plant, it is expected that control will be handed over to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a retreat will follow.
According to CNN on the 27th (local time), Kotin stated in an interview with Ukrainian state media, "In recent weeks, signs have been detected that Russian forces are preparing to withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant," adding, "There is a strong possibility that Russia will hand over control of the Zaporizhzhia plant to the IAEA and withdraw."
Kotin emphasized, "Employees working at the plant say that the Russian forces are packing everything into bags to steal," and added, "We do not know if they will withdraw immediately, but they are definitely preparing to leave."
Since being occupied by Russian forces in March, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been used by Russia as one of the diplomatic nuclear threat tools against Ukraine and the West. The actual operation and management of the plant are still carried out by the original Energoatom staff, while Russian forces have converted parts of the plant into military bases and attempted power grid replacements that severely compromise the plant's safety, drawing international criticism. The IAEA has also dispatched inspection teams since September due to concerns over the plant's safety.
The possibility of Russian forces withdrawing from the Zaporizhzhia plant has been continuously raised as the worsening frontlines make defending the plant difficult. The Ukrainian military's control of the western bank of the Dnipro River has increased the likelihood of attacks from the rear on the southern area of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where the plant is located.
The Russian government has also demanded that the IAEA expedite the establishment of a demilitarized protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, stated to the IAEA, "The establishment of a protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia plant must be done very quickly." Earlier, when the IAEA first proposed the establishment of a demilitarized protection zone around the plant in September, Russia did not properly respond to the request but is now reportedly changing its stance abruptly.
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