Dangerous Forces: The Protection of Nuclear Power Plants in Armed Conflict

Oct 18, 2022 | Abby Zeith and Eirini Giorgou
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As the international armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine drags on, the international community continues to sound the alarm about the significant risks of a nuclear reactor accident as a result of protracted fighting around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and among the ten largest in the world. In this post, ICRC Legal Advisers Abby Zeith and Eirini Giorgou take a closer look at the limits imposed by international humanitarian law (IHL) to protect works and installations containing dangerous forces – such as nuclear electrical generating stations – against the danger of hostilities, and what is at stake.