The Foreign Ministry has denied Russia’s claim that Ukraine attacked the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
31 May 08:14
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has firmly rejected accusations by the Russian Federation that Ukraine allegedly attacked the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. This is stated in a press release from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as reported by "Komersant Ukrainian".
Similar accusations were made on May 30 by representatives of Russia’s Rosatom. The ministry called this an information operation aimed “at diverting the international community’s attention from the only real source of nuclear danger at the Zaporizhzhia NPP—the illegal Russian occupation of the plant.”
“As always, the Russian accusations lack logic: it is unclear for what purpose Ukraine would strike its own nuclear power plant, located on its own territory, which it itself seeks to return to its sovereign control. Russian propaganda is trying, time and again, to push an absurd narrative: a state defending its territory is allegedly attacking its own nuclear facilities, while the state that has occupied them is acting as their ‘defender.’ The very fact that this claim needs to be repeated is proof of its absurdity,” the statement reads.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that for years, the Russian Federation has refused to grant international experts full access to all areas of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, particularly to the western sections of the power units’ turbine halls.
“Ukraine draws the attention of IAEA member states to an obvious pattern: practically before every meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, the Russian Federation launches a new wave of information manipulation surrounding the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The details, pretexts, and wording may change, but the goal remains the same—to divert the international community’s attention from the illegal occupation of the plant, the systematic restriction of IAEA activities, Russia’s violations of international law, and the fact that it is the Russian military presence on the ZNPP’s territory that remains the primary threat to nuclear safety,” the agency added.
The ministry explained that the current provocation is taking place on the eve of the June session of the IAEA Board of Governors, during which member states will consider the Agency’s Annual Report for 2025 and the Director General’s Report on the Application of Safeguards.
“For Russia, these documents pose a serious political problem. They will once again confirm what Moscow has been unsuccessfully trying to change for the fourth consecutive year: the IAEA does not recognize any Russian claims to the Zaporizhzhia NPP; the IAEA does not recognize any Russian jurisdiction over Ukrainian nuclear facilities located in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine; the Agency continues to treat the ZNPP as a Ukrainian nuclear facility under illegal Russian occupation. The same applies to other Ukrainian nuclear facilities in the temporarily occupied territories, including facilities in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, in particular the Sevastopol Research Reactor and the subcritical nuclear facility, over which Russia is unsuccessfully attempting to extend its own illegal claims,” the statement reads.
Additionally, Ukraine called on the 34 members of the IAEA Board of Governors to provide a principled response to the actions of the Russian Federation not only in statements but also in decisions.
What is known about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP
The ZNPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, has been occupied by Russian troops since March 4, 2022. Russia is stationing military equipment and ammunition on the plant’s grounds. The Russians are also shelling the plant itself, destroying power lines, causing power units to shut down, and blaming the Ukrainian Armed Forces for this.
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