Russia accuses Ukraine of intensifying attacks on Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

Russia on Monday accused Ukraine of intensifying attacks on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and the nearby city of Enerhodar.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova criticized international organizations, particularly the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for what she described as a restrained response to Kyiv's "provocative actions."

"We are compelled to note that international bodies, first and foremost the IAEA, have responded with great restraint to Kyiv's provocative actions," she said, accusing them of failing to explicitly identify Ukraine as responsible.

Zakharova claimed that Ukrainian forces had targeted civilian facilities earlier in the week, including an art school and a fire and rescue station operated by Russia's Emergencies Ministry.

"Unable to strike the ZNPP directly, the Kyiv regime continues its futile attempts to destabilize the plant's operations by intimidating its personnel," she said, alleging that Kyiv sought to increase casualties and create a radiation-contaminated zone in the Zaporizhzhia region.

She also criticized Western support for Ukraine, saying it was creating radiological risks in Europe and endangering its own citizens.

Zakharova said Moscow was informing the international community about Ukrainian attacks and taking measures to protect the plant, its personnel and Enerhodar residents.

The situation around the ZNPP, Europe's largest nuclear power plant and one of the world's 10 largest, remains tense amid persistent concerns about a potential nuclear disaster, as Moscow and Kyiv frequently accuse each other of carrying out attacks around the facility in southeastern Ukraine.

IAEA personnel have been stationed at the plant since Sept. 1, 2022. Russia has controlled the facility since March 2022.