4th Nuclear Power Plant Protection Battalion (Ukraine)

The 4th Nuclear Power Plant Protection Battalion, also referred to as the 4th Nuclear Power Plant Defense Battalion and associated with Military Unit 3044, is a Ukrainian National Guard formation assigned to the protection of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant. Its mission combines armed security of a critical nuclear installation with preparedness for incidents involving chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear hazards. The unit is headquartered in Pivdennoukrainsk, in Mykolaiv Oblast, close to the plant it protects. The battalion was established on 1 July 1991 to provide protection and safety for the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant. Reference material also describes the unit in its current organizational form as having been established in 1992, reflecting the institutional transition surrounding the creation and consolidation of Ukraine’s post-Soviet national security structures. Its core role has remained the defense of nuclear-energy infrastructure, including the prevention of unauthorized access, response to threats against the plant, and support for emergency measures in the event of a hazardous incident. The unit’s duties expanded beyond static facility security after the outbreak of the war in Donbas in 2014. It was among the early Ukrainian formations to enter the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone, demonstrating that its personnel could be employed in wider combat operations as well as in the protection of nuclear facilities. Training associated with the battalion has included responses to emergencies at nuclear plants, armored-vehicle preparation, and field exercises. These activities reflect the dual character of the formation: it is both a critical-infrastructure protection unit and a combat-capable National Guard battalion. During Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the battalion became directly involved in the defense of southern Ukraine. Russian forces advancing toward the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant were repelled during the Battle of Voznesensk in March 2022. The plant itself was later affected by the surrounding conflict. On 19 September 2022, a Russian strike reportedly detonated approximately 300 metres from the reactors, breaking windows and damaging a neighboring hydroelectric facility, although the reactor units were not damaged. The reported weapon was an Iskander missile. In November 2023, the battalion was deployed to Zaporizhzhia Oblast and took part in fighting during Ukraine’s southern campaign. Its personnel subsequently faced artillery fire and Russian assaults in the area around Mala Tokmachka and Verbove. The deaths of soldier David Ihorovych Stoyanov in November 2023, reaction-platoon commander Serhiy Drobotun in July 2024, and platoon commander Anton Anatoliyovych Zarenka in October 2024 illustrate the risks faced by the unit after it moved from a primarily facility-protection role into sustained frontline combat. The battalion is therefore not a commercial brand or consumer-facing organization. It is a military formation whose institutional identity is associated with nuclear-site security, civil-protection readiness, and defense of Ukrainian territory. Its principal operational area is Ukraine, particularly the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant and, during wartime deployments, other sectors of the southern front.

The 4th Nuclear Power Plant Protection Battalion was created on 1 July 1991 to protect the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant. Some descriptions date the unit’s current form to 1992, following the reorganization of Ukraine’s security institutions after independence. Based in Pivdennoukrainsk, the battalion became part of the National Guard of Ukraine and developed a specialized mission centered on nuclear-site security and emergency preparedness. Its responsibilities extend beyond guarding buildings and restricted areas. The battalion trains for incidents involving hazardous materials and nuclear-facility emergencies, and its personnel have undertaken exercises involving emergency-response procedures, armored vehicles, and field operations. The formation’s institutional purpose is consequently linked to both protection of critical infrastructure and the ability to respond to a rapidly changing security environment. The war in Donbas broadened the unit’s operational experience. In 2014, it was among the first formations connected with the nuclear-plant protection mission to enter the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone. This marked a shift from a predominantly localized security role toward participation in Ukraine’s wider military effort. Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 brought the battalion into direct defense of its home region. Russian troops moving toward the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant were repelled during the March 2022 Battle of Voznesensk. The plant remained exposed to the wider war: on 19 September 2022, a reported Russian missile detonated about 300 metres from the reactors, breaking windows and damaging a nearby hydroelectric station. The reactor units themselves were not damaged. By November 2023, the battalion had been deployed to Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where it engaged Russian forces during Ukraine’s southern campaign. Combat around Mala Tokmachka and later Verbove produced casualties among its personnel. David Ihorovych Stoyanov died in an artillery strike on 16 November 2023. Serhiy Drobotun, who commanded the reaction platoon of the second commandant’s office, was killed on 21 July 2024. On 26 October 2024, Anton Anatoliyovych Zarenka, commander of the first branch of the second operational platoon, died while helping stop a Russian assault intended to pass around the battalion’s positions. Colonel Oleg Khudoliy is identified as the battalion’s commander from 2017. The available reference material does not provide a complete succession list or a detailed account of the unit’s internal organization. Its documented history nevertheless shows a progression from dedicated nuclear-facility protection, through counterinsurgency-era deployment, to frontline combat during the full-scale Russo-Ukrainian War.

1. 2023Deployment to Zaporizhzhia Oblast

   The unit was deployed to Zaporizhzhia Oblast and engaged Russian forces during the southern campaign.

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2. 2022Defense during Russia’s full-scale invasion

   The battalion took part in the defense of southern Ukraine, including the repulsion of Russian forces advancing toward the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant during the Battle of Voznesensk.

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3. 2014Deployment to the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone

   The unit became one of the early formations from its mission area to enter the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone during the war in Donbas.

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4. 1992Current organizational form established

   Reference material describes the battalion’s current form as established in 1992 during the formation of Ukraine’s post-independence security institutions.

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5. 1991Formation for nuclear-plant protection

   The battalion was established on 1 July to protect and safeguard the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant.

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A specialized National Guard formation positioned around the protection of critical nuclear infrastructure, with additional CBRN-response, emergency-preparedness, and wartime combat responsibilities.

• 2023Expansion from nuclear-site security to frontline deploymentStrategy

  The battalion’s original mission focused on protecting the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant, but the full-scale invasion created a broader requirement for combat formations in southern Ukraine.

  What changed. In November 2023, the unit was deployed to Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where it engaged Russian forces as part of Ukraine’s southern campaign.

  Aftermath. The deployment exposed the battalion to sustained frontline combat and artillery fire, including fighting around Mala Tokmachka and Verbove.

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• 2024Serhiy Drobotun killed in action

  Serhiy Drobotun, commander of the reaction platoon of the battalion’s second commandant’s office, was killed in action on 21 July.

  Leadership changeOther
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• 2024Anton Zarenka killed while stopping an assault near Verbove

  On 26 October, Anton Anatoliyovych Zarenka, commander of the first branch of the second operational platoon, was killed while stopping a Russian assault attempting to bypass the battalion’s positions.

  Leadership changeOther
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• 2023Deployment to Zaporizhzhia Oblast

  In November, the battalion was deployed to Zaporizhzhia Oblast and engaged Russian forces during Ukraine’s southern campaign.

  Other
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• 2023David Ihorovych Stoyanov killed in action near Mala Tokmachka

  Soldier David Ihorovych Stoyanov was killed on 16 November as a result of artillery strikes on the battalion’s positions during combat near Mala Tokmachka.

  Other
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• 2022Battle of Voznesensk halts Russian advance toward the nuclear plant

  During the opening phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Russian forces advancing toward the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant were repelled in the Battle of Voznesensk.

  Other
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• 2022Strike reported near the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant

  On 19 September, a reported Russian missile strike exploded roughly 300 metres from the reactors, breaking windows and damaging a neighboring hydroelectric facility. The reactors were not damaged.

  OtherRegulation
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• 2014Unit enters the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone

  The battalion was among the first units associated with the plant-protection mission to enter the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone after the start of the war in Donbas.

  Other
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• 1991Battalion established to protect the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant

  The formation was established on 1 July 1991 with responsibility for the protection and safety of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant.

  Other
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1. 4th Nuclear Power Plant Protection Battalion (Ukraine)