MOSCOW, July 6. /TASS/. Protections for the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant’s (ZNPP) spent nuclear fuel storage facility have been strengthened, Acting Governor of the Zaporozhye Region Yevgeny Balitsky said.

Earlier on Thursday, Balitsky and First Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration Sergey Kiriyenko visited the Zaporozhye NPP to make sure that the facility was operating normally.

"Of course, we take into account all the possible risks coming from the enemy. Safeguards at the tailing pond have been enhanced and the radiation level is under constant monitoring. An additional protective wall has been installed," Balitsky wrote on Telegram.

Shortly before IAEA chief Rafael Grossi’s June 23 visit to Russia, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky accused Moscow of allegedly plotting a terrorist attack on the Zaporozhye NPP. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov slammed Zelensky’s allegation as yet another lie. Renat Karchaa, advisor to the CEO of Russian state nuclear power corporation Rosenergoatom, said that the Ukrainian leader’s statement might be an indication that Kiev is preparing to attack the ZNPP in order to drag NATO further into the Ukrainian conflict. On June 23, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said at a UN Security Council meeting that Moscow was highly concerned about Kiev’s increasingly shrill allegations that Russia is booby-trapping the ZNPP. According to him, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission that recently visited the facility could see for themselves the utter absurdity of such allegations.