Occupiers dig trenches near the cooling pond of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

Russian military is digging trenches around the cooling pond of the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), having already constructed over a kilometer of trenches. This is stated in a study by British military analysts McKenzie commissioned by the international organization Greenpeace Germany.

It is noted that military preparations, including trench and fortification construction, were observed in many areas around the cooling pond.

«As of June 27, 2024, an extensive trench system covering both ends and the central part of the northern shore had already been prepared», the study says.

According to the study, from the beginning of the Russian occupation of the station to June 27, 2024, more than 1000 meters of trenches were constructed in the area of the cooling pond of the nuclear power plant. They are mainly concentrated on the north and west sides of the pond.

British analysts claim that the construction of trenches provides the Russian army with a firing point from which they can engage in combat and which serves as protection from direct fire. Additional shelters on the flanks and behind the combat trenches allow the delivery of heavy weapons to support the troops, including armored vehicles with machine guns, heavy machine guns, and mortars.

«The scale and intensity of the militarization of the area around the cooling pond indicate that it may be a force of at least a battalion (approximately 650 soldiers) or even more, which will have a significant fleet of armored vehicles and trucks to support them», the experts emphasize.

Analysts believe that Russia's construction of trenches and fortifications may prelude a new pumping station and Russian efforts to restart the reactors at this facility.

Recall that specialists from the International Atomic Energy Agency have recorded explosions and gunfire near the Zaporizhzhia NPP over the past week.

Earlier, due to shelling and fire, an external radiation monitoring station near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) was destroyed.

By the way, the resolution «Safety and Security of Ukraine's Nuclear Facilities, including the Zaporizhzhia NPP», initiated by Ukraine, was approved by the UN General Assembly.