MINSK, March 12. /TASS/. Belarus has bolstered the defenses of its nuclear power plant against drone threats with specialized equipment, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Commander of the Internal Troops of Belarus, Nikolay Karpenkov, said.

Karpenkov told the BelTA news agency that safeguarding the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (BelNPP), along with other critical facilities and special cargoes, remains a top priority for the internal troops. "Over the past year, we have significantly strengthened the security of the BelNPP, where our special-purpose unit 'Tsiklon' operates successfully. A total of 173 violators were detained in the restricted zone," he said.

"No provocations were allowed," Karpenkov stated, confirming that special forces and security personnel are effectively guarding the BelNPP. "We have seriously enhanced protection against unmanned aerial vehicles," he added. "Specialized equipment has been procured and repeatedly tested; it works effectively. The skies over the BelNPP are closed, and the plant is reliably protected."

Atomstroyexport (part of Russia’s Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation) constructed Belarus's first nuclear power plant near the city of Ostrovets in the Grodno Region by June 2021 based on the standard Russian AES-2006 (NPP-2006) project. The first power unit was connected to the unified energy grid and commissioned for industrial operation at the BelNPP on November 3, 2020, and in June 2021, respectively.

The second power unit was connected to the country's unified energy grid and commissioned for industrial operation at the BelNPP in May 2023 and on November 1 of the same year, respectively. The minister of energy of Belarus announced at the end of last December that the introduction of a third power unit at the plant into the country's energy system is being discussed for the period 2035-2038.