Ukraine’s nuclear energy company Energoatom announced Saturday that Russia has arrested Igor Murashov, general manager of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.
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Russian forces have occupied the station since March 4, and have been targeted several times in recent months with bombings that both Kiev and Moscow accuse each other of, raising fears of a nuclear accident.
Petro Kotin, head of Energoatom, said on one of the social networks that a “Russian patrol” arrested Murashov at about 4:00 pm (1300 GMT) as he was on his way from the factory to the Russian-controlled town of Ernogodar.
According to him, the car transporting the factory manager was stopped and the latter was taken out of the car, and then he “goed blindfolded to an unknown destination.”
Mr. Cotten added that Mr. Murachov “bears full and exclusive responsibility for nuclear security”.
The nuclear power plant is located in the Zaporizhia region, one of the Ukrainian territories formally annexed by Russia on Friday.
A delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency visited the plant in September. The UN agency calls for the establishment of a security zone around the site.
