Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the government in Moscow to nationalize Ukraine’s Zaporizhia nuclear plant, which is occupied by his troops.
“The government is instructed to ensure that the objects for the use of nuclear energy from the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and other properties necessary for its operation are taken as state property,” reads the decree published on Wednesday. The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.
Russia has effectively controlled the nuclear plant since early March, when Moscow troops occupied much of southern Ukraine as part of the war of aggression. The plant has been attacked several times during intense fighting in recent months and has even had to be closed.
Ukraine and Russia blame each other for the damage. The bombing sparked international concerns of a nuclear catastrophe.
Russia recently annexed four Ukrainian regions, including the Zaporizhia region, where the nuclear plant is located, in a procedure that violates international law. Despite threats from Russia, Ukraine has declared that it will continue to fight for the liberation of all its regions.