All news

Ukrainian attack on ZNPP can be characterized as act of nuclear terrorism — Rosatom

Strike was delivered targeting the NPP’s equipment, which must be cooling water of the power plant in the standard operation mode, statement reads
Zaporozhye nuclear power plant Alexander Polegenko/TASS
Zaporozhye nuclear power plant
© Alexander Polegenko/TASS

MOSCOW, August 12. /TASS/. The Ukrainian army’s attack on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) can be characterized as an act of the nuclear terrorism, Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom said in a statement on Monday.

"We draw your attention to the fact that today's strike was delivered targeting the NPP’s equipment, which must be cooling water of the power plant in the standard operation mode," the statement reads.

"Therefore, this attack can be characterized as an act of the nuclear terrorism on behalf of the Ukrainian authorities," the agency stated.

Rosatom added that "for a long time the Ukrainian regime has been systematically attempting to carry out attacks on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant and the city of Energodar."

"A massive attack was carried out in April with the use of drones on the city [of Energodar] and the ZNPP," the statement reads. "As a result, three people were wounded and one of them sustained grave wounds. In June, the Ukrainian army delivered a strike against an environmental radiological monitoring station of the ZNPP in the settlement of Velikaya Znamenka."

The Russian nuclear corporation also stated that the Ukrainian army’s attack on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant can be characterized as an act of the nuclear terrorism.

"We draw your attention to the fact that today's strike was delivered targeting the NPP’s equipment, which must be cooling water of the power plant in the standard operation mode," the statement reads. "Therefore, this attack can be characterized as an act of the nuclear terrorism on behalf of the Ukrainian authorities."

The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, located in the city of Energodar, has a capacity of about 6 GW and is Europe’s largest. It has been controlled by Russian troops since late February 2022.

Since then, Ukrainian army units have periodically shelled both residential areas in Energodar and the premises of the ZNPP itself, using drones, heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS).