Russian troops looting at Zaporizhzhia plant in anticipation of retreat

Hot Air ^ | November 28, 2022 | ED MORRISSEY

[dennisw]

The Kremlin denies it, but right now, it only looks like a matter of time. Russia wants to keep the nuclear power facility in Zaporizhzhia for its own energy needs as well as nuclear hostage in its failing war in Ukraine.

The question is whether they can hold it, and for how long. As the New York Times points out, the fallback from Kherson hasn’t bolstered their forces in Zaporizhzhia enough to sustain its seizure in the long run:

Following a string of Ukrainian military successes in the south, the Kremlin sought on Monday to tamp down speculation that Russian forces would withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear complex, with President Vladimir V. Putin’s spokesman saying that Moscow has no plans to end its military occupation of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.

“One should not look for signs where there are none and cannot be any,” said the spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov.

That’s what they said about Kherson too, until they got forced out by Ukrainian advances. More on that in a moment, but those claims are no longer convincing even Vladimir Putin’s milblogging propagandists. They have begun reporting on efforts to prepare Russian media for a retreat from Zaporizhzhia:

Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia plant soon after invading Ukraine in late February, stationing troops and military equipment there. A withdrawal from the plant would mark another setback for Russian forces in a region that Mr. Putin has sought to annex illegally.

On Sunday, Petro Kotin, the president of the Ukrainian state nuclear energy company, Energoatom, said that there were signs that Russian troops were “packing and stealing whatever they can find” at the Zaporizhzhia complex, although he emphasized that there was no evidence that the troops had actually begun to pull out.

[Its All Over Except ...]

Good points.

Thanks for the reminder about the amount of time needed to replenish those.

And have the cheerleaders ever been hitting the sauce.

[entropy12]

You did not understand my point of view. In history of world, the VICTOR has walked away with the spoils of war more often. Hitler lost the war.

[delta7]

And have the cheerleaders ever been hitting the sauce.

——————
Do remember Biden’s Covid hoax- the masses drank that putrid whiskey- now crickets heard from them, same, same -soon with Biden’s Ukie war cheerleaders. Some people never learn.

[entropy12]

You did not understand my point of view. In history of world, the VICTOR has walked away with the spoils of war more often. Hitler lost the war. Therefore Germany had no spoils to capture.

[Cronos]

According to the Putin fanboys here on fr, the Russians are really near French nuclear plants

[Allegra]

That’s the extent of your argument. There is nothing there. I don’t even know how you people get across the street by yourselves.

LOL - you know you chapped the ankle-nipper with pesky logic when all he can do is screech “FOAD!” like some jilted, zitty teenager.

Good grief, these people… 🤦🏻‍♀️

[Cronos]

They shell civilians in the forlorn hope that it would convince Ukrainians to let Russia keep its I’ll gotten 17% of Ukraine (down from 27% controlled at its peak in March).

The shelling does the opposite, it makes Ukrainians more certain they need to fight this to the end and if Zelensky chickens out, he would be voted out

[Cronos]

Russia was handing out Russian passports to people in the occupied territories. No asking.

[silverleaf]

Yes, it was.
To those who applied.
Their security would vet out SBU operatives…. if possible
Given the ongoing sabotage warfare
No country just hands out passports particularly one with a murderous enemy on its border

[Cronos]

Actually Putin’s Russia handed out passports to all in the areas it occupied.

That was go deny the right of Ukraine to exist

[linMcHlp]

August 25, 2022
The Real Risks at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant
https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/energy/the-real-risks-at-the-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant

August 26, 2022
Impact of war on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant – visual guide
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/26/war-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant-visual-guide-ukraine-russia

August 29, 2022
No let-up in shelling as UN team heads for Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/29/zaporizhzhia-plant-ukraine-un-nuclear-watchdog

- - -

Briefly, Russia never produced evidence to Russia’s claim that Ukraine artillery had struck within the actual perimeter of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP). That perimeter is a very large area.

Note, that the Zaporizhzhia NPP is several kilometers southwest from the city of Zaporizhzhia. The NPP is located on the south shore of the Kakhovka Reservoir area of the Dnipro River (aka “the regional east bank” aka “the regional left bank” of that river) - an area occupied by Russian forces.

Ukraine occupies the north side of the Kakhovka Reservoir area of the Dnipro River (aka “the west bank” aka “the right bank” of that river).