Ukrainian servicemen guarding Zaporizhzhya NPP lay down their arms, let go home - Russian National Guard

ZAPORIZHZHYA NPP (Ukraine). March 9 (Interfax) - The situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is under full control of the Russian National Guard, the plant personnel is working as usual, while Ukrainian servicemen who were guarding the nuclear facility laid down their arms and were allowed to go home, a Russian National Guard representative told reporters.

He said that talks were held with the Ukrainian National Guard, which resulted in the Ukrainians laying down their arms and the NPP coming under control of Russian forces. About 240 people, including 50 women, laid down their arms and, after signing documents of not being involved in hostilities, they were taken away from the NPP and let go to their homes, the Russian National Guard said.

"At present, the NPP is operating routinely, the administration of the facility is performing its functional duties, the required passage regime is in full effect, and the plant is fully controlled by the Russian National Guard," a Russian National Guard colonel, who introduced himself as Sergei, said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that in the early hours on March 4, a Ukrainian sabotage group staged an armed provocation, and there was an armed clash near the NPP training center, which is located outside the perimeter of the plant with power units. The Russian forces suppressed the firing emplacements and the NPP was taken under control, the Defense Ministry said.

"During the clash, the firing emplacements were suppressed. While retreating, a sabotage group set fire to the training center building. The emergency services extinguished the fire. There were no civilians in the facility during the skirmishes and firefighting," the Russian National Guard representative said.

The Zaporizhzhya NPP is Europe's largest nuclear power plant in terms of installed capacity and is located in Enerhodar. Its six VVER-1000 power units were built according to the B-320 project. The first unit was commissioned in December 1984, the sixth unit in October 1995.