MELITOPOL, November 22. /TASS/. The resumption of Ukrainian attacks on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant after a two-month break is due to Russia's position on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolution adopted last week, which calls on Russia to give up control over the plant, Vladimir Rogov, chairman of the 'We Are Together with Russia’ movement, told a TASS correspondent on Tuesday.
"Russia's reaction to the IAEA resolution and the resumed shelling of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant on Saturday are actions agreed upon prematurely. They are like card sharks trying to pull a fast one, deciding who should throw down what card. One minute, it is the decision) of the IAEA Board of Governors, the next, it is a statement by NATO, after that, it is the bombardment of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. There is no doubt that these are coordinated actions," he said.
On Saturday, the Ukrainian army resumed its shelling of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant after a long break. Artillery strikes against the facility were recorded on Sunday and Monday.
On Thursday, the IAEA adopted a new resolution on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant that called on Russia to "immediately give up all claims of ownership of the nuclear facility." Russia and China voted against the resolution, while India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, South Africa, Kenya, and Namibia abstained from voting.
The Russian permanent mission in Vienna described the IAEA resolution as going beyond the agency's mandate. The agency's Deputy Director General, Mikhail Chudakov, said on Monday that the IAEA Board of Governors' decision was advisory, and the Kremlin called on all countries to influence Ukraine to stop shelling the plant. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the draft resolution "does not mention Ukraine as the real source of the threat," which has been shelling the plant for years. By such actions, Zakharova stressed, Western sponsors "gave carte blanche to the regime of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to continue their reckless attempts to cause irreparable damage to the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant."
The Zaporozhye nuke plant is the largest one currently operating in Europe. Russia took control of the facility on February 28, during the first days of its special military operation in Ukraine. The plant continued to operate normally. An IAEA mission led by Grossi visited it in early September. After the delegation left the site, the agency's staff remained there as observers. Later, the IAEA published a report calling for the creation of a safety zone around the plant to prevent emergencies due to hostilities.