That is according to a latest the U.K. Defense Ministry’s Defense Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine.
The U.K. Defense Intelligence says, that "this is the first indication of the actual reactor buildings being integrated in tactical defense planning" while russia has controlled ZNPP since March 2022. At the same time, the Intelligence service estimates, that "russia has likely constructed these positions because it is increasingly concerned about the prospects of a major Ukrainian offensive."
Read more: 'Wagner' Militants Planted Explosives at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, When russian Troops Refused to Do That
According to the update, the move highly likely increases the chances of damage to ZNPP safety systems if fighting takes place around ZNPP. "However, direct catastrophic damage to the reactors is unlikely under most plausible scenarios involving infantry weapons because the structures are very heavily reinforced,” the U.K. Defense Intelligence states.
Zaporizhzhia NPP, having six reactors, is the largest nuclear facility in Europe and among the 10 largest in the world. It is under the control of Russia since 2022. On 4 March 2022, the nuclear and thermal power stations were both captured by Russian forces. As of 12 March 2022 the plant is reportedly controlled by the Russian company Rosatom. The plant continued to be operated by Ukrainian staff, under Russian control] until 11 September 2022, when the sixth reactor was disconnected.
As Defense Express reported earlier, the UK Defense Intelligence Said There Was an "Internecine Struggle" Between russia's Military Over Approaches to the War in Ukraine. We also wrote that russia Continued to Spend Significant Resources for Little Success.
Read more: Europe’s Biggest Nuclear Power Plant in Zaporizhzhia Gets Shelled For the Third Time, Each Time Closer to Power Units