Zaporizhzhia NPP To Be Bypassed During Counteroffensive. AFU Understand This - Energoatom Head

During the counteroffensive, the Defense Forces should bypass the Zaporizhzhia NPP, absolutely all the military understand this. It was stated by the head of Energoatom Petro Kotin in an interview with CNN.

"They are obliged to maintain the integrity of (the station), even if it is occupied by the Russians. Absolutely all of our military understand this," he said.

According to Kotin, Ukraine can return the Zaporizhzhia NPP without the use of force by simply closing the supply lines to the facility.

"We just need to interrupt the connection between the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the Crimea. What needs to be done is just liberate Melitopol. They (Russian troops. - Ed.) will be surrounded by Ukrainian forces, and the only road to the exit to the Crimea will be captured by us. That means they'll only have two options: either give up or just go from there," he added.

The mayor of Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia Region, Ivan Fedorov, suggested that the occupiers were probably preparing provocations in the occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia.

NJSC Energoatom denied information about changes in the situation around the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP. The "head" of the station appointed by the invaders announced the shutdown of all units of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.