After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022, Energoatom shut down Units 5 and 6 to reduce risk, keeping Units 1 to 4 in operation on 25 February.
At 11:28pm local time on 3 March 2022, a column of 10 Russian armored vehicles and two tanks approached the power plant.Fighting commenced at 12:48am on 4 March when Ukraine forces fired anti-tank missiles. Russian forces responded with a variety of weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades.During approximately two hours of heavy combat, a fire broke out in a training facility outside the main complex, which was extinguished by 6:20am, though other sections surrounding the plant sustained damage. The fire did not impact reactor safety or any essential equipment.The plant lost 1.3 GW of capacity.It was later learned that a large caliber bullet pierced an outer wall of Reactor No. 4 and an artillery shell hit a transformer at Reactor No. 6.
Ukrayinska Pravda reported on 12 March that the plant's management was told by Russian authorities that the plant now belonged to Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear power company. It continued to operate and supply data, including from a remote monitoring system, to the IAEA. It continued to be operated by Ukrainian staff, under Russian control.
On 5 July 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that Russian forces arranged a military base in the complex by deploying heavy self-propelled multiple rocket launcher BM-30 Smerch.[30] On 19 July, three Ukrainian suicide drones attacked Russian equipment and tents at the site. Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said that three Russian occupiers were killed and twelve injured. The occupation administration was reported as saying that at least eleven employees were injured. An occupation official said the reactors were not damaged and it was unlikely they were the target.,Image: 719054782, License: Royalty-free, Restrictions: , Model Release: no
În ultima vreme, Moscova acuză Kievul că lucrează la o „bombă murdară”, care ar pune în pericol lumea, din punct de vedere radioactiv. Erau vizate și trei instituții, care ar fi lucrat asupra creării aceste bombe – Institutul de cercetare nucleară din Kiev, Uzina de procesare şi minerit Jovti Vodî şi Uzina de maşini-construcţii asociaţia de producţie Pivdennii din Dnipro.
Pentru a face o lumină în această problemă gravă, Agenţia Internaţională pentru Energie Atomică a inspectat aceste instituții și a dat verdictul: nu s-a găsit niciun indiciu privind activităţi şi materiale nucleare nedeclarate în aceste locuri!
