Russia seizes Ukrainian director of nuclear plant
LA TimesThe Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is part of Ukrainian territory that Russia has illegally annexed. Russian forces blindfolded and detained the Ukrainian head of Europe’s largest nuclear station, Ukraine’s nuclear power provider said Saturday, reigniting long-simmering fears over the plant’s security. In a possible attempt to secure Moscow’s hold on the newly annexed territory, Russian forces seized the director-general of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Ihor Murashov, around 4 p.m. Friday, the Ukrainian state nuclear company Energoatom said. “His detention by jeopardizes the safety of Ukraine and Europe’s largest nuclear power plant,” said Energoatom President Petro Kotin, demanding the director’s immediate release. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Saturday that Russia had told it that “the director-general of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was temporarily detained to answer questions.” The Vienna-based IAEA did not elaborate.