Russia systematically tortured civilians in Enerhodar and forced them to work with Rosatom – Truth Hounds
24 September 2025 22:06
The human rights organization Truth Hounds has documented more than 226 cases of illegal detentions of Ukrainian civilians in occupied Enerhodar. These include resistance members, their relatives, employees of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, former military personnel, and entrepreneurs, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to eyewitnesses, the first detentions began in March 2022. The Russian military came directly to the plant, summoning staff for so-called “interviews” that turned into interrogations.
“The occupiers started looking for pro-Ukrainian people directly at the station. They found out about them through pressure. Then they came and took them away right at work,” one of the ZNPP employees told human rights activists.
Torture and coercion to cooperate
Prisoners were held in overcrowded rooms where physical and psychological torture was used: beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence, and mock executions. People were deprived of food, water and medical care.
“Beatings and electric shocks were common practice. Many were forced to watch the abuse of others in order to break them psychologically,” the report says.
Some were forced to sign contracts with Rosatom or make staged videos with propaganda statements.
Escalation of repression
Human rights activists have recorded two key stages of escalation:
- May 2022 – after an assassination attempt on collaborator Andriy Shevchyk, the occupiers sharply intensified abductions.
- September 2022 – after the pseudo-referendum in the city, the number of tortures and persecutions increased significantly.
In total, Russian troops set up at least seven places of illegal detention in and around the city.
Risks for ZAES
Truth Hounds emphasizes that the persecution has affected certified ZNPP employees, on whom the safety of the reactors depends. This creates additional risks of an accident. At the same time, the plant has already experienced ten blackouts since the beginning of the occupation.
“The attacks were deliberately aimed at specialists with unique technical skills. This threatened the safe operation of the reactors and increased the possibility of a catastrophe,” human rights activists emphasize.
Demand for sanctions against Rosatom
In the conclusions to the report, Truth Hounds calls on foreign governments to cease all cooperation with Rosatom and impose sanctions on the company for its involvement in the persecution of Ukrainians. Human rights activists also demand an international investigation into the crimes of the occupiers.
As a reminder, Enerhodar has been under occupation since March 2022. Along with the city, Russia seized Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest nuclear facility in Europe.
Ukraine has repeatedly stated that the actions of Russian troops threaten nuclear and radiation safety and demands the creation of a demilitarized zone around the plant.
Russia refuses to withdraw its troops and maintains control over the plant, using it as an instrument of pressure on the international community.
