The Russians accused a ZNPP engineer of terrorism and sentenced him to 19 years in prison

On March 26, the Russians sentenced Serhiy Potyng, an employee of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from the temporarily occupied city of Enerhodar, to 19 years in prison.

This was reported by the mayor of Enerhodar, Dmytro Orlov.

The man was found guilty of fabricated terrorism charges and sentenced to imprisonment in a strict regime colony, the official stated.

Serhiy Potyng was a civilian and worked as an engineer at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The occupiers captured him on June 26, 2023, and a month later, Energoatom reported that the Russians were regularly torturing him. The engineer has been unlawfully detained for nearly two years.

“It is obvious that this is revenge for his loyalty to Ukraine. His life and health are in danger!” emphasized Orlov.

He called on the international community, diplomats, and human rights defenders to make every effort to free Serhiy and all civilian prisoners.

It should be reminded that in early March, the Russians sentenced 56-year-old Zaporizhzhia NPP employee Natalia Shulha to 15 years in prison, accusing her of “attempting to commit sabotage” and allegedly collaborating with the Security Service of Ukraine.

Kidnapping of ZNPP employees

In July 2022, employees of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and their relatives reported that over 40 station staff members were in captivity at that time. They were kidnapped for ransom. Russian military also took two more nuclear workers in an unknown direction. Three months later, in October, the occupiers kidnapped the deputy general director of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, Valerii Martyniuk, from the staff.

In April 2023, Energoatom reported that the Russians had kidnapped four NPP employees who were believed to be loyal to the occupiers. Among the detainees was Mark Volkov, the “deputy head” of the physical protection service. As Energoatom wrote, he “actively assisted the illegal activities of the occupiers.”

In February 2025, the Russians took two Ukrainian energy workers who were working at the ZNPP as hostages. They were captured while working at the station.

Hromadske