MELITOPOL, April 17. /TASS/. Ukrainian troops purposely targeted the area near the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) before the expiration of the 30-day agreement to halt strikes on energy facilities, once again demonstrating Kiev’s unwillingness to support peace efforts, including those focused on nuclear safety, the ZNPP director of communications, Yevgeniya Yashina, told TASS.
"The Ukrainian strike occurred before the agreement had expired. It was clearly a deliberate move," Yashina said. "It demonstrates once again that Kiev is not genuinely committed to any peace initiative — even those related to nuclear security."
She added that this was not the first such attempt by Ukrainian forces, specifically targeting the training center where plant staff are trained. "It’s symbolic that exactly a year ago, in April 2024, we saw two similar attacks," she noted.
Earlier, the ZNPP reported that a Ukrainian drone was intercepted roughly 300 meters from the facility, near the training center that houses the only full-scale reactor hall simulator in the world. No injuries or damage were reported.
The ceasefire on energy infrastructure, in place since March 18, followed a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US leader Donald Trump. Vladimir Zelensky later expressed support for the initiative.
Despite this, Ukrainian strikes hit energy facilities across 15 Russian regions between March 18 and April 16. These included Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Zaporozhye, Kursk, Lipetsk, Rostov, Saratov, Smolensk, Tambov, Kherson, Crimea, and Krasnodar, as well as the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. Kiev employed UAVs, FPV drones, and various artillery systems, including HIMARS MLRS, in the attacks.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS that Ukraine had not respected the moratorium since it began, continuing attempts to target Russia’s energy infrastructure.