MOSCOW, September 7. /TASS/. Leading Western countries realize that Ukraine’s Armed Forces are behind the shelling of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, but are too engaged to call on Kiev to stop the bombardments, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said in a televised interview with Rossiya-24 news channel on Wednesday.

"The leading Western countries realize perfectly well that the shelling is conducted by Ukraine, but it turns out that they cannot afford to call Ukrainians to order either. They are too engaged. They could have sent a corresponding signal through bilateral channels at least. I am not sure that it is being done, as the shelling is ongoing today, and was ongoing yesterday and the day before. It is all very dangerous," he said.

In addition, Ulyanov announced that at the IAEA Board of Governors next week, Russia would again call on Western counterparts to take a more responsible approach.

"Let us wait and see if this will help," he added.

"Let us see if [IAEA Director General Rafael] Grossi’s new idea of protecting nuclear safety will help. This should be sorted out. It is known that we have no heavy weapons at the plant and that we do not carry out shelling from the opposite bank of the Dnieper River," the envoy noted.