The Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine categorically deny the information about an alleged missile strike on the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is being spread by Russian resources. On May 30, the command emphasized that such statements are yet another information provocation and an attempt by Russia to discredit Ukraine on the international stage.
This is reported by Finway
Russia’s Manipulations and Nuclear Blackmail
In their statement, the Ukrainian military emphasized that the Russian Federation continues to use the Zaporizhzhia NPP as a tool for nuclear blackmail and for producing fakes. Since March 2022, the plant has been under illegal military control of the Russian Federation, which places electronic warfare means, weapons, military equipment, and personnel on its territory. Such actions violate international norms and requirements regarding the safety of nuclear facilities.
“The messages disseminated by the occupying resources about an alleged strike by the Ukrainian Defense Forces on the ZNPP facilities are yet another attempt to discredit Ukraine and conceal their own criminal actions,” the statement reads.
Facts Regarding the Situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP
The command of the Southern Defense Forces emphasizes that all actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are carried out in strict accordance with international humanitarian law, and the risks to nuclear facilities are assessed with the utmost responsibility. The Ukrainian military does not possess drones with the range and combat characteristics that would allow for the attack claimed by the Russian side.
Russian troops, in turn, have established a multi-layered smoke screen around the plant, complicating observation of the facility. The ZNPP is located approximately 50 kilometers from the nearest land line of combat engagement. The closest Ukrainian-controlled city on the other bank of the former Kakhovka Reservoir is Nikopol, which is at least 10 kilometers away.
The statement also emphasizes that “the version promoted by Russia does not withstand any factual verification”; the Russian side provides no evidence for its accusations, and information attacks appear after their latest defeats on the front to divert the attention of the international community.
Earlier, Russian media published a statement by the head of Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, about an alleged explosion by a Ukrainian drone near the turbine hall of the 6th power unit of the ZNPP, but this information has not been confirmed by independent sources. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), whose experts are constantly present at the site, has not reported any such incidents. The day before, the IAEA recorded the 16th loss of external power supply to the Zaporizhzhia NPP.
It is worth noting that all six reactors of the Zaporizhzhia NPP have been in a state of cold shutdown since 2022, and the plant itself is not generating electricity. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the plant has become the subject of constant accusations and risks that threaten nuclear safety not only in Ukraine but also throughout Europe.