BEIJING, March 29. /TASS/. China attaches great importance to the safety of nuclear power plants in Ukraine and is calling for an early political solution to the conflict to eliminate relevant risks, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian said at a briefing.

"China attaches great importance to the issue of nuclear security in Ukraine. This issue is one of the aspects of the Ukrainian crisis, the resolution of which ultimately depends on the prospects for a crisis-free political solution," the spokesman said.

He also emphasized that "only by contributing to the de-escalation of the situation and the early conclusion of peace is it possible to address security risks at a fundamental level" and called upon all stakeholders to take a responsible approach to resolving the crisis.

Since September 2022, all units of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) have been shut down. Five of them are in a state of "cold shutdown," while one is in a state of "hot shutdown." The equipment is maintained in accordance with all necessary regulations under strict monitoring of radiation safety standards.

The Zaporozhye NPP is located in Energodar and includes six power units with a total capacity of 6 GW. It is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. In late February 2022, the facility was taken under the control of Russian forces. Since then, Ukrainian army units have been shelling both residential areas of Energodar and the plant itself, using drones, heavy artillery and multiple rocket launchers.

On 14 March, ZNPP Director Yury Chernichuk said that the Ukrainian armed forces shelled the plant's critical infrastructure facilities. A combat drone dropped a shell-less explosive device five meters from the fence of the fuel storage facility. Diesel fuel is used to power the station's emergency diesel generators. The destruction of the tanks and fuel leakage may lead to a decrease in the emergency readiness of the ZNPP. Chernichuk also reported that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors documented in photographs the locations where explosives were dropped.