Since March 2022, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest facility of its kind in Europe, has been under the control of Russian forces. The Russians have turned it into a military base, something they proudly announced themselves. Since September 2022, all reactors have been shut down, meaning the plant no longer generates electricity—though it still requires power for cooling the reactors and maintaining safety systems.
So where does it get this power from? From the Ukrainian energy grid.
The absurdity begins when the Russian forces, who rely on this energy, regularly destroy the infrastructure that supplies it. On average, every 2-3 weeks, Russian shelling cuts off the power supply to the Zaporizhzhia NPP. At that point, Ukrainian electricians step in to repair the damaged lines. The Russians, in turn, destroy them again. This absurd cycle has been ongoing for 2.5 years, with the plant losing power several times.
But the nonsense doesn’t stop there. When the plant is cut off from external power, backup generators are activated. And the fuel for these generators? It comes, of course, from Ukraine. On multiple occasions, the Russians have blocked these fuel deliveries, fearing sabotage—even though they know full well that running out of fuel could lead to a meltdown of the fuel rods.
In just the past week, the Zaporizhzhia NPP has twice lost access to one of the two essential power lines. Each time, Ukrainian workers repaired the damage, only for the Russians to shell it again.
Does anyone have any idea where this is all heading? Apparently not. Western officials regularly meet to discuss the situation at Zaporizhzhia, unanimously recognizing it as a “serious threat.” What follows are more appeals and resolutions, which—so far—have achieved nothing.
Looking at this absurd situation, one cannot help but recall the iconic line from Forrest Gump: “Stupid is as stupid does.”
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