3rd Nuclear Power Plant Protection Battalion (Ukraine)

The 3rd Nuclear Power Plant Protection Battalion is a unit of the National Guard of Ukraine assigned to protect the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant in Netishyn, Khmelnytskyi Oblast. Its principal responsibilities include guarding the nuclear facility, securing critical infrastructure, supporting emergency protection measures, and maintaining readiness for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards. The unit is also known as Military Unit 3043 and is sometimes described in English-language sources as the 3rd Nuclear Power Plant Defense Battalion. The battalion was established on 1 July 1992 within the Internal Troops of Ukraine, shortly after Ukrainian independence, with a dedicated mission to protect and guard the Khmelnytskyi plant. Its work therefore combines conventional military security with the protection of a high-consequence civilian energy installation. Unlike a commercial brand, it is a state security formation; its public identity is associated with the facility it protects and with Ukraine's nuclear-security system rather than with consumer products or services. In 2014, the unit was transferred into the National Guard of Ukraine during the reorganization of Ukraine's internal security forces. After that transition, the battalion also took part in operations connected with the War in Donbas. Its special-purpose platoon reportedly experienced substantial combat, expanding the unit's operational role beyond stationary nuclear-facility security. The battalion has continued to operate during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Public reporting has linked the unit's area of responsibility to several incidents in which Russian attacks disrupted power supplies or caused explosions near the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant. On 15 November 2022, the plant temporarily lost full access to the power grid, requiring diesel-generator backup and the shutdown of both reactors. On 10 February 2023, a reactor unit was stopped after a large Russian attack caused instability on the surrounding power network. Further explosions were reported near the plant on 29 November 2023. At least four personnel of the battalion were reported killed in action during the Russo-Ukrainian War. Colonel Kostyantyn Kabanov has been identified as a commander from 2018 onward. Available public information concentrates on the unit's institutional history, nuclear-site security mission, and wartime operating environment; detailed information about its current order of battle, personnel strength, equipment, and leadership succession is not consistently public.

The 3rd Nuclear Power Plant Protection Battalion was created on 1 July 1992 as part of the Internal Troops of Ukraine. Its original and continuing assignment was the protection and guarding of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, a strategically important civilian energy facility in western Ukraine. The unit was headquartered in Netishyn and operated as a dedicated security formation rather than as a conventional frontline maneuver battalion. Its mission requires more than perimeter guarding. Nuclear-site protection involves access control, response to armed threats, protection of critical systems, and readiness for radiological or other hazardous incidents. The battalion is consequently associated with CBRN defense as well as ordinary military security. Public accounts also identify the unit as Military Unit 3043. In 2014, the battalion became part of the National Guard of Ukraine when Ukraine reorganized its internal security forces. The change placed the unit within the National Guard structure while preserving its nuclear-facility protection role. The battalion also began operating in the War in Donbas. Its special-purpose platoon reportedly saw particularly intense combat, demonstrating that the unit could undertake missions beyond the immediate perimeter of the Khmelnytskyi plant. The unit remained involved in Ukraine's wartime security environment after Russia's full-scale invasion. Publicly reported events around the Khmelnytskyi plant illustrate the risks faced by the battalion and the facility it protects. On 15 November 2022, Russian attacks disrupted the plant's connection to the national power system. Diesel generators were used as backup and both reactors were stopped temporarily. On 10 February 2023, another large-scale attack produced instability in the surrounding grid and caused one plant unit to stop. Explosions were again reported near the plant on 29 November 2023. The battalion has suffered wartime casualties; at least four of its personnel were reported killed in action during the Russo-Ukrainian War. Colonel Kostyantyn Kabanov is listed as a commander beginning in 2018. Beyond these public details, information on current commanders, staffing, equipment, deployments, and tactical procedures is limited, which is consistent with the security-sensitive nature of the formation.

1. 2023Further attacks affecting the protected facility

   A February attack caused grid instability and a unit shutdown, while explosions were reported near the plant in November.

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2. 2022Grid loss during Russian assault

   The protected nuclear plant temporarily lost full grid access on 15 November and relied on diesel generators while both reactors were stopped.

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3. 2018Kostyantyn Kabanov identified as commander

   Colonel Kostyantyn Kabanov is listed as serving as commander from 2018 onward.

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4. 2014Transfer to the National Guard of Ukraine

   The unit became part of the National Guard and began operations connected with the War in Donbas.

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5. 1992Formation within Ukraine's Internal Troops

   The battalion was established on 1 July to guard and protect the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant.

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A specialized Ukrainian National Guard formation positioned at the intersection of military security, nuclear-facility protection, and radiological emergency preparedness.

• 2023Khmelnytskyi plant unit stopped after Russian attack caused grid instability

  On 10 February, a massive Russian attack destabilized the nearby power network and caused one unit at the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant to stop.

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• 2023Explosions reported near Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant

  Several explosions were reported near the nuclear power plant on 29 November while the facility remained under the battalion's protection.

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• 2022Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant temporarily switched to diesel backup after grid disruption

  During a major Russian assault on 15 November, the protected plant lost full access to the electricity grid. Backup diesel generators supplied power and both reactors were temporarily stopped.

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1. 3rd Nuclear Power Plant Protection Battalion (Ukraine)