Russia urges international action against Kyiv over Zaporizhzhya NPP attack

Moscow has called on the international community to urgently intervene regarding the recent attack on the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant by Ukrainian forces.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova made this appeal during an interview on Channel One, emphasizing the need for global pressure on Kyiv, Caliber.Az reports.

Zakharova highlighted the long-standing Russian call for international measures to address what Moscow describes as Kyiv’s use of nuclear facilities as tools for terrorism. She pointed out that the recent strike targeted one of the Zaporizhzhya plant’s facilities, which Moscow claims is part of a broader strategy by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Western supporters, primarily Washington and London, to intimidate and create a terrorist threat.

On August 11, Ukrainian forces struck the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, causing a fire and significant damage to structures critical for cooling water. Yevgeniya Yashina, communications director for the plant, reported that this was the first instance of such severe damage from Ukrainian attacks. However, she assured that the fire at the cooling system did not affect the plant’s core operations, though the cooling tower was completely destroyed inside without risking collapse.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated that the attack did not compromise the nuclear safety of the plant. IAEA experts have requested access to assess the damage to the cooling tower. IAEA head Rafael Grossi has urged an end to strikes on the plant, warning that continued attacks heighten the risk of a nuclear disaster.