Days after the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia declared an illegal annexation of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast (province) and the Kherson Oblast in southern Ukraine. In reality, Russian control does not extend over all of these oblasts, but does include Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, formerly the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, and the nearby city of Enerhodar. As Russian forces surrounded the city, local citizens, together with Armed Forces of Ukraine, put up a strong defence with barricades. 10,000 residents of Enerhodar formed a human shield, but the occupiers opened fire and by the morning of 4th March 2022, the plant was under Russian control and administrative buildings had been destroyed.
The “Zaporizhzhia 15” are employees of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) who have been abducted, tortured, and sentenced to long prison sentences on trumped-up charges following show trials. Sadly, the number fifteen is almost certainly an underestimate. A report by Truth Hounds documents Russian detention of at least 226 Enerhodar residents and ZNPP employees up to March 2025. Most of these detainees have been subjected to physical and psychological torture; there has been at least one killing, Andriy Honcharuk, a diver in the plant killed in June 2022.
Campaign
Ukraine Solidarity Campaign is at forefront of raising these issues in the UK and in particular works to build links between British trade unions and the Ukrainian labour movement. It is running an important campaign, which all trade unionists should support, for the freedom of the imprisoned Zaporizhzhia power workers. A recent meeting in London organised by USC was very privileged to hear from two Ukrainian trade unionists, Ivanna Khrapko, chair of the Youth Council of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine and vice president of the State Employees Union of Ukraine, and Khrystyna Levchenko, former Atomprofspilka union rep at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Khrystyna was herself living under occupation for 18 months but managed to escape under very difficult circumstances.
The National Union of Mineworkers is proposing a motion about the ZNPP detainees to this year’s Trade Union Congress; the meeting was chaired by NUM General Secretary Chris Kitchen.
Ukrainian voices
Ivanna Khrapko spoke about the situation facing Ukrainians and especially trade unionists. Russia continues its campaign of bombardment and intimidation. There are almost nightly bombing raids, particularly in the front-line zone but also in Kyiv. Drones target individuals, particularly civilians and workers. A drone strike on a civilian train in January in northeastern Ukraine killed several people and again in August Russian bombardments killed eight people on a train platform near Kyiv and a later drone attack killed two train crew members.
There are frequently double-strikes, where firefighters and health workers are attacked when they come to the aid of injured people. Kyiv has been cut in half by destruction of bridges.
Ivanna has been particularly active in recruiting young workers to trade unions and establishing young members’ representation in union governance.
Bravery – going into work
Khrystyna Levchenko of the Atomsprofpilka trade union is a lead personnel engineer in a laboratory at ZNPP, on long-term leave because of the occupation. Immediately after the Russian occupation, staff recognised that their work was still essential to ensure the safe operation of the nuclear power plant. Despite the risks to themselves, all fourteen laboratory assistants – all women – in one shift attended for work, as dedicated professionals. The situation was very difficult: several rooms in the laboratory housed Russian occupying troops, who installed beds and electric heaters in gross violation of the fire safety rules of the nuclear plant. The troops lived, slept, ate, cooked, and did laundry alongside personnel, who were forced to remain silent.
The laboratory assistants were even prohibited from moving around the turbine halls, making it impossible for them to do their jobs properly and jeopardising the safety of the plant. Female employees were at risk of violence. The Russians soon declared Rosatom – Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation – to be the new controllers of ZNPP. Horrifyingly, the FSB (Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation), the successor to the KGB, began working with Rosatom to force Ukrainian personnel to accept Russian passports and sign employment contracts with Rosatom.
Production falls
By June, 2022, the plant was failing, from 500MW output rapidly to approaching zero; the unit control room stabilised output at around 120MW. According to Wikipedia, since September 2022 all six reactors have been placed in various states of shutdown. According to Wikipedia, the plant is still operated by staff of the Public JSC National nuclear energy generating company “Energoatom” (Ukrainian: ПАТ ‘НАЕК “Енергоатом”) but Russia has long term plans to transfer operation to Rosatom and to connect it to the Russian power grid. Khrystyna reported that the plant has reduced from 11,000 workers pre-invasion to 3,000 now, as mentioned also in the NUM motion to TUC, while at least 1,000 workers have endured psychological abuse and torture.
Freedom for the captured workers!
Khrystyna finished her presentation with a plea for the freedom of (at least) 15 captured ZNPP workers, all members of Atomprofspilka. As of June 2026, at least 45 cases of unlawful deprivation of liberty are known, including 40 identified individuals, including current and former ZNPP workers, medical staff, educators, social workers, and other civilians. 20 have been sentenced so far, four are undergoing trials, and 13 are held incommunicado. Sentences range from 11 to 25 years on charges including espionage, terrorism, and treason – typical instruments of political repression. Once Ukrainians have been declared Russian and not Ukrainian by the occupying power, Russia, they are not treated as enemy civilians in wartime, but as traitors if they resist and hence face charges of treason, which carry long prison sentences.
This is the reality of life for Ukrainian workers and trade unionists in the occupied parts of Ukraine. The labour movement in the west should appreciate this situation and understand why Ukrainians resist occupation and do not want “peace settlements” which leave part of Ukraine under occupation. Ukrainians are under occupation are being horribly ill-treated; they are not living in peace. Debates around Ukraine at the TUC and in trade unions should be conducted keeping this context in mind.
Welfare not warfare?
Also at this year’s TUC there is motion from University and College Union building on its motion “Wages not weapons” passed at the 2025 TUC. Of course, we want to see good public services and welfare provision that provides decent living for everyone. We do not bow down to Trump’s demands to increase military spending to an amount that he decides. But the assumed opposition between welfare and the right of nations to defend and liberate themselves needs to be opposed vehemently.
These are political as well as economic arguments: as Maurizio Franzini, Professor of Economic Policy at the Faculty of Economics of La Sapienza University of Rome, has argued, increased military spending is a political choice; it could be funded by reducing other spending, but it could also be done by increasing revenue or even by debt. Political choices are complicated. Europe needs to be able to defend itself, but it also needs to defend its social protection system, which is far better than that of the USA, for example. It is not a question of either-or.
Unjust peace
In the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, however, slogans such as “welfare not warfare” take on a different significance. There are those who argue that Ukraine must accept an unjust peace. “Peace” in which large parts of a country are occupied by a hostile power and where thousands of civilians are at risk of arrest, torture, or worse, is no peace at all. Whether they intend to or not – and in some cases the proponents of these discourses are overtly pro-Russian – those who create a false opposition between welfare and defence are in effect calling for Ukrainian capitulation. This would not only be terrible news for Ukraine but would also bring war in other parts of Europe one step closer.
As George Orwell wrote in September 1942: “Pacifism is objectively[1] pro‑Fascist. This is elementary common sense. If you hamper the war effort of one side you automatically help that of the other.” Of course, this works both ways, which is why anti-war protesters in Russia are met with severe repression, but this is no reason not to support those beleaguered comrades and no reason to argue against material and effective support for Ukraine. In any case, very few trade unionists are actually pacifists; they reserve their pacifism for wars waged by NATO and the USA. They are happy to support some national liberation movements, when they are struggles against western imperialism. But Russian imperialism also needs to be resisted – we need consistent anti-imperialism.
We can support UCU’s call for building real security through decent work and strong social protections, but this needs to go alongside a clear statement that this does not mean opposing aid for Ukraine and the eventual aim of full liberation for Ukraine. We must fight for welfare at the same time as we stand in solidarity with Ukraine.
[1] The key word is “objectively”. No doubt many pacifists have honest motives. Orwell has more to say on this: https://www.telelib.com/authors/O/OrwellGeorge/essay/tribune/AsIPlease19441208.html