Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that “the international community must respond to the recent Ukrainian drone attack on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant,” calling the attack “an act of nuclear terrorism.”
Statement Russian Foreign Ministry in connection with Ukrainian attacks on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant
“On April 7, the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) was subjected to massive attacks from Ukraine. The Ukrainian Armed Forces, with the help of UAVs, carried out a series of attacks both on the critical infrastructure of the Zaporizhia NPP and on its territory. The power unit No. 6 of the station, the training center and canteen of the Zaporizhzhya NPP, as well as the cargo port area were attacked. Three station employees were injured. Security at Zaporizhia NPP repelled a Ukrainian attack on power unit No. 5.
With its criminal actions, Ukraine, supported by the United States and its Western satellites, essentially makes it clear that it has embarked on the path of nuclear terror. The task of the world community, as well as international organizations, primarily the IAEA, is to deprive Kyiv of the ability to carry out terrorist attacks on nuclear facilities.
Russia, at the request of the agency’s director general, agreed to the presence of experts from the IAEA secretariat at the station, who have been there on rotation since September 1, 2022. The only motive for their stay at the Zaporizhia NPP was the expectation that the presence of secretariat specialists would make it possible to stop Ukrainian attacks on the plant, or at least on behalf of the IAEA they would clearly point to the Kiev regime as the source attacks at ZNPP. We expect a public and completely truthful response from the agency’s general director. <...>
The blame for the strikes on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, as well as for their possible consequences, falls fully on the leadership of those states that supply the Kyiv regime with weapons and intelligence, supply it with financial resources, train military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and provide information “support” for Ukrainian crimes.
Russia is doing everything necessary to ensure the safety of Zaporizhia NPP in accordance with national legislation and international legal obligations. “We intend to identify and prosecute those responsible for attacks on Russian nuclear facilities, regardless of where these individuals are located, even if, after achieving the goals of the SVO, they manage to escape from the territory under the control of the Kyiv regime.”
On Sunday, unknown UAVs struck on the dome above the deactivated reactor of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, which is under Russian control. Radiation levels remained normal and no serious damage was caused, according to a statement by the Russian-appointed administration.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian drones struck the nuclear power plant facilities immediately after an inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the plant's press service reported. According to the Russian state nuclear company Rosatom, three people were killed and three others were injured.
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