Zelenskyy’s Statement on Zaporizhia NPP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a post on the social media platform X, stated, “We recorded from Nikopol that Russian invaders started a fire in the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) area.” Zelenskiy, stating that according to the first assessments made after the fire, the radiation level was normal, underlined that this situation may not be permanent.
Zelenskyy stressed that Russia “seized the nuclear power plant and used it to blackmail Ukraine, Europe and the world.” He said he expected the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to take action, adding that “Russia must be held accountable for this. Only Ukraine’s control over the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant can guarantee a return to normalcy and full security.”
Statement from the IAEA
In a statement made via the X account of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it was stated that “IAEA experts witnessed dense dark smoke coming from the northern part of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant after several explosions were heard in the evening hours.” The team was informed about the accusation that a drone attack was carried out by the plant on the cooling towers. It was also emphasized that no negative effects were reported in terms of nuclear safety.
Russia’s Response
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, in a statement on her Telegram account, accused the Kiev administration and the West, saying, “They killed the Ukrainian people, undermined global energy and food security, and now they have launched nuclear terror on the continent.” “
Yevgeniy Balitskiy, the so-called regional governor of Zaporizhia annexed by Russia, gave information about the situation at Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Balitskiy stated that a fire broke out in the cooling system of Zaporizhia nuclear power plant due to artillery fire by the Ukrainian army and said, “6 units in the plant are in a cold shutdown state, there is no explosion or other danger.” He also emphasized that the radiation level in the plant and the surrounding city is normal and noted that efforts to extinguish the fire are ongoing.
Important Information
The Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. It was seized by Russia in March 2022. Currently under Russian military control, the plant has been subject to several artillery attacks, with Ukraine and Russia blaming each other for the attacks.
