“Anti-Russian fabrications”. In the United States, they decided that Russia was responsible for the bombing of the ZNPP.

“Disinformation Campaign”

Employees of the Russian Embassy in the United States reported on the Telegram channel of the diplomatic department that they drew attention to the “disinformation campaign”, which appeared in the American media, aimed at “bypassing” the Russian Federation “responsibility for the situation”. Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.”

“The real situation is exactly the opposite. According to the Interdepartmental Coordination Center for Humanitarian Response of the Russian Federation, on August 5, Ukrainian nationalists opened artillery fire on the territory of the facility in question. As a result, two high-voltage power lines and a water supply system were damaged. However, critical infrastructure was not damaged thanks to the effective and timely actions of the Russian military to contain the station.

Diplomats also noted that this was not the first Ukrainian provocation at radiation hazardous facilities. The ministry stressed that the bombing of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant was “deliberate” and posed “a real threat to the nuclear security not only of Ukraine but also of Europe”.

“We call on the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency to condemn Kiev’s criminal actions and take urgent measures to prevent provocations at radiation-hazardous facilities in Ukraine. And American journalists – stop shouting Russophobic fabrications, ”the embassy concluded.

Specifically, The New York Times columnist Andrew Kramer Wrote On August 6, “the Russian army is using the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant as a base and cover for artillery bombardment of the Ukrainian-controlled city of Nikopol.”

“About a month ago, Russian troops launched artillery strikes from the station, and the Ukrainian army said that they could not fire back because they feared that they might hit the reactor at the station and cause a radiation disaster,” the journalist said.

Russia firing “artillery fire from the captured nuclear power plant” because Ukraine did not want to reciprocate, 1 August Wrote and the Business Insider edition.

UN Secretary General António Guterres also announced that the bombardment of nuclear power plants should be stopped.

“We fully support the IAEA in its efforts to create conditions to stabilize the situation at the station. Any attack on a nuclear power plant is suicide in itself and I hope these attacks will stop. “I also hope that the IAEA will be able to provide access to the station.”

increased bombardment

However, the previous day, the head of the administration of the Zaporozhye region, Evgeny Balitsky, criticized the position of the IAEA on the Telegram channel. According to him, the leadership of the organization “recognizes the real risk of nuclear disaster”, but “does not take real measures” to stop the bombardment.

The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant has been under the control of the Russian army since March. Since August 5, the shelling has become more frequent. After several artillery strikes, a fire broke out at the scene, two power lines necessary for the operation of the power units were cut. At the nuclear power plant, part of the equipment of power unit No. 3 was de-energized, and the generated power of power unit No. 4 was reduced. Russia and local officials insist that Ukrainian troops bombed nuclear power plants.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced that one of the units of the 45th artillery brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired from the firing positions near the village of Marganets, on the opposite bank of the Kremenchug reservoir, controlled by the Ukrainian army.

The day before, the local government reported that on Sunday night, the Ukrainian Armed Forces again opened fire on the nuclear power plant.

“The armed formations of Ukraine struck with the use of a 220-mm Uragan MLRS rocket projectile on the territory of the Zaporizhzhya NPP. Approaching the power units, the rocket opened and released fragmentation munitions. It turned out that the spent nuclear fuel was in the affected area after the dry storage area and automatic control of the radiation status. Administrative buildings and the adjacent storage area were damaged,” Balitsky wrote on his Telegram channel.

He explained that “from the place where the fragmentation munitions fell and the working power unit of the rocket engine itself was not more than 400 meters.” “Every day, artillery strikes are carried out closer to the force units, which poses a direct threat to the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians in the European and Asian countries, as well as in Ukraine,” the Energodar administration said.

“Given the fact that in this region the wind is directed mainly to the northwest, in the event of a man-made disaster, the cities of Nikopol, Zaporozhye, Krivoy Rog, as well as most of the western regions of Ukraine. , first of all it will be in the radius of radiation damage. “Then the whole continent will suffer,” he said.

Coordination of the IAEA president’s visit

On 6 August, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi expressed his concern at the increased bombardment of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.

“I am extremely concerned about the bombing of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant yesterday, which highlights the real danger of a nuclear disaster.” given Grossi’s words on the organization’s website.

He stressed that military actions that put the safety of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant “are completely unacceptable and must be avoided at all costs”.

In his speech at the NPT Review Conference on August 1, Ukraine announced its readiness to visit its nuclear power plant.

“We are ready, we hope we can go to Zaporozhye, because if something happens there, we will only blame ourselves,” said Grossi.

On August 2, the Director-General of the IAEA said that the UN Secretariat did not prevent agency employees from traveling to the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, the visit was coordinated with Moscow and Kyiv.

In turn, the head of the administration of the Zaporozhye region, Evgeny Balitsky, told Grossi that he was ready to show how the Russian army is guarding the nuclear power plant, and Ukraine is trying to attack it.