International legal protection of nuclear power plants in conditions of armed conflict

The article considers the international legal framework for the protection of nuclear power plants (NPP) from the threats of attack and destruction in the conditions of two types of armed conflicts from the standpoint of a conceptual and practice-oriented approach. The scientific materials define the criteria for general and special protection of such nuclear facilities, as well as the conditions for the termination of legal protection as a last resort. As a result of the study, conclusions were formulated that determine the rules of conduct for the parties to the conflict in protecting nuclear power plants in the conditions of warfare. The presented material is updated with a brief analysis of the events taking place around the Zaporozhye NPP as part of its systematic shelling by the Ukrainian armed forces.