Russia on mentioned Ukraine attacked the Moscow-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant with a drone. (Image: AFP)
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy station is Europe’s largest nuclear facility and there was a drone assault on it just lately. Kyiv and Moscow have accused one another of attacking the plant.
Russia on Monday accused Ukraine of attacking the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy station with a drone for the second day working, after Kyiv had earlier pointed the finger at Moscow.
The plant in southern Ukraine, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, has been underneath the management of Russian forces for the reason that first days of the navy offensive in early 2022.
Both sides have recurrently traded accusations of attacking the power during the last two years, accusing one another of risking a probably devastating nuclear catastrophe.
“Attempts by the Ukrainian armed forces to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant continue,” the Russians controlling the power mentioned on Telegram on Monday.
“Today a kamikaze drone was shot down over the plant. It fell on the roof of unit 6,” they mentioned, referring to one of many energy station’s reactors.
They mentioned there was no risk to the plant’s security.
Russian forces have managed the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant since their seized it in March 2022.
Ukraine had earlier mentioned Moscow was spreading “fake” data that Kyiv had fired drones on the plant on Sunday.
The head of Ukraine’s centre for countering disinformation, Lieutenant Andriy Kovalenko, mentioned Russia was intensifying a “campaign of provocation and fakes”.
He mentioned it was Russia that was attacking the power “with drones, pretending that the threat to the plant and nuclear safety is coming from Ukraine”.
‘Nuclear dangers’
Russia’s nuclear company Rosatom mentioned there was a “series of attacks” on Sunday.
It alleged that one drone had struck the positioning’s canteen, wounding three workers members, one among them “severely”.
Drones additionally hit a cargo port and the roof of one of many energy plant’s six nuclear reactors, it mentioned.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has specialists on the plant, mentioned Sunday’s strikes resulted in a single casualty.
“This is a major escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
“Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately,” Director General Rafael Grossi mentioned on Sunday.
The IAEA mentioned on Sunday there have been no indications of “damage to critical nuclear safety or security”.
Rosatom urged Grossi and Western nations to “categorically condemn” the assault.
Ukraine’s Kovalenko accused Russia of “manipulating the concerns of the IAEA” and “trying to accuse Ukraine of nuclear terrorism”.
A spokesman for the Ukrainian defence ministry’s important directorate of intelligence, Andriy Yusov, had earlier accused Russia of endangering the ability station and finishing up “simulated strikes”.
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – AFP)
