MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/. Moscow is warning Kiev and its Western patrons against trying to attack the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said in an interview with TASS.

"We are warning the Ukrainian authorities and their Western patrons against any attempts to attack the ZNPP. We also call on the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] and its leadership to take advantage of its expert presence at the power plant to publicly document all attacks carried out by Ukraine and clearly state where the real threat to the operational safety of the facility comes from," the deputy foreign minister noted.

He pointed out that the ZNPP was located in Russian jurisdiction and Moscow was taking all the necessary measures to ensure nuclear safety and security in accordance with national laws. "Ukraine remains the only source of threat to the security of the ZNPP as Kiev keeps trying to carry out provocative actions against the power plant," Galuzin stressed. According to him, it’s not a secret to anyone, "regardless of whether observers have the courage to call a spade a spade." It’s all clear to the United Nations, the IAEA "and the world’s capitals, including those that directly sponsor [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky’s regime."

"Russia ensured the presence of IAEA representatives at the facility as a sign of goodwill and based on the fact that the ZNPP is located close to the combat zone. Another rotation of IAEA experts took place on August 3. Unfortunately, the IAEA Secretariat is facing strong pressure from Western countries and is unable to disclose all the information it has about Ukrainian attacks on the ZNPP," Galuzin concluded.

The six-reactor, six-gigawatt Zaporozhye NPP, located in the city of Energodar, is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Russian forces took control of the facility in late February 2022. Since then, the Ukrainian army has periodically shelled both residential areas in Energodar and the power plant proper using drones, heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS).