DISINFO: There is no military equipment at Zaporizhzhia NPP
SUMMARY
There is no Russian military equipment on the territory of the Zaporizhzhya NPP, which the IAEA proposes to remove. [...] Russian military equipment, including those operating in the framework of counter-battery warfare, is located outside the station's perimeter.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation claim about Ukraine attacking the Zaporizhzhia power plant in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
This is not the first time the Kremlin’s manipulation and disinformation machine has used a deep-seated and very reasonable fear of a nuclear disaster to advance its political and military goals in Ukraine.
IAEA, after recent inspection, confirmed that Russian military equipment is present at Zaporizhzhia NPP. Some military trucks are seen inside a turbine room during IAEA's inspection. In early August, an amateur video appeared (probably made by some NPP employee) showing military trucks close to the the nuclear reactor building.
A video shared by Russian opposition outlet The Insider shows that Russian military vehicles move in and around the plant, some of them (including armored vehicles) moved into the building containing the first of the plant’s six nuclear reactors. Besides this, Russian forces dug trenches and establish firing positions.
There are numerous more reports that Russia uses the nuclear site as a so-called “sheltered” artillery park, "using the facilities to fire on Ukrainian positions in the belief that Ukraine would not fire back and risk a nuclear accident".
Russia has been widely accused of using the plant as a shield from which to launch attacks. Using the plant in this way violates the Geneva Convention, which states that particular care must be taken if "installations containing dangerous forces" are located near the fighting. About 500 Russian troops are reported to be at the site (pr first week September).
See similar disinformation cases alleging that there is no Russian weapons in or around Zaporizhzhia station, that Ukrainian military wanted to use IAEA official as human shields to retake the power plant, or that Ukraine wants to disrupt IAEA visit to power plant.