MOSCOW, September 11. /TASS/. Ukraine’s regular attacks on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant are fraught with catastrophic consequences, Russian President Vladimir Putin told his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, in a telephone call on Friday and called for pressing Kiev to stop such attacks.
"The Russian side drew attention to Ukraine’s regular attacks on the Zaporozhye NPP’s facilities, including radioactive waste storages, which is fraught with catastrophic consequences. The Russian president informed [his French counterpart] about the measure taken by Russian specialists to ensure physical protection of the nuclear plant and stressed the necessity of exerting pressure on the Kiev authorities to make them immediately stop attacks on the station," the Kremlin said after their telephone conversation.
The leaders "exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine with a focus of issues of ensuring security of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant," it said. "The sides expressed mutual readiness for a non-politicized cooperation on the situation around the ZNPP with the IAEA’s participation."
Located in the city of Energodar, the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is controlled by Russian troops. Ukrainian troops have been regularly shelling the Zaporozhye NPP in recent time. A mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), led by its Director General Rafael Grossi, visited the plant in early September. In its report issued after the visit, the IAEA called for the immediate establishment of a safety zone around the Zaporozhye plant to prevent a possible "nuclear incident" triggered hostilities. Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya stressed that demilitarization would not be able ensure the plant’s security but will put at risks of Ukraine’s provocations instead. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said that Russia was studying the IAEA report but needs more time to respond to the agency’s proposals.