Ukraine and Russia Accused Each Other of Attacks on the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant

Ukraine and Russia accused each other, this Saturday, 13, of attacks against the nuclear power plant in zaporizhia, the largest in Europe, which is occupied by Moscow troops and has been the scene of clashes for a week. “Reduce your presence on the streets of Enerhodar! We have received news of new provocations by the “Russian occupiers”, wrote the Ukrainian nuclear agency Energoatom on Telegram, which published a message from a local leader in the city of Enerhodar (controlled by Kiev), close to the Zaporizhia power plant. “According to testimonies from residents, there are new bombings towards the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. […] The interval between the exit and the drop of the projectiles is 3 to 5 seconds”, the agency added in the message. In turn, occupation authorities installed by Russia in parts of southern Ukraine accused Kiev of being behind the attacks.

“Enerhodar and the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant are under fire from militants from the [presidente Volodymyr] Zelensky,” Vladimir Rogov, a member of the pro-Russian military and civilian administration, declared on Telegram. The projectiles fell “in areas situated on the banks of the [rio] Dnieper and at the plant,” said Rogov, without causing any casualties or damage. Since last week, the two countries have accused each other of being responsible for the bombings against the plant, raising fears of a nuclear catastrophe. The first attack, which took place on August 5, damaged a high-voltage electrical transformer, causing the automatic shutdown of reactor number 3 at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. The latest bombings date from Thursday and caused damage to a pumping station and radiation sensors. The Ukrainian authorities, with the support of their allies among the Western powers, are calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the area and for it to be demilitarized, in the face of what Zelensky calls “Russian nuclear blackmail”.

*With AFP