The Foreign Ministry rejected Russia's accusations regarding the death of a Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant engineer
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Kyiv had no connection to the death of the chief engineer at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The ministry called Russia’s claims unsubstantiated and urged the public not to regard information from the occupying authorities as reliable.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized that the main source of danger surrounding the Zaporizhzhia NPP remains the Russian occupation of the plant, its militarization, and its use for military purposes.
Earlier, Russia claimed that Alexander Yakovlev, the chief engineer of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, had allegedly been killed in a drone strike near the plant. According to Russia, he was in a company vehicle with his driver on the stretch of road between the nuclear power plant’s territory and the city of Energodar.
In response, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Moscow had not provided any independent evidence to support its allegations. “No independent confirmation of the Russian version or evidence of Ukraine’s involvement has been presented, and information from Russian occupation authorities cannot be considered reliable,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry emphasized that such accusations must be viewed in the broader context of Russian policy regarding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
The Foreign Ministry stated that Russia has long been attempting to create the impression among the international community that Ukraine, in fact, poses a threat to nuclear safety. The Ukrainian side notes that the Russian Federation continues to station military personnel on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, controls the plant through the occupation administration it has established, and involves representatives of “Rosatom.”
“The root cause of all threats surrounding the Zaporizhzhia NPP remains its illegal seizure, militarization, and use by the Russian Federation for military purposes,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated. Kyiv also reiterated that the IAEA has repeatedly called on Russia to withdraw military and other unauthorized personnel from the plant and return the facility to Ukraine’s control.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it expects the IAEA to adhere to the principles of impartiality and objectivity when assessing the situation surrounding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Ukraine called on the international community not to succumb to Russian disinformation campaigns and to increase pressure on Moscow to comply with the decisions of international organizations. “Returning the plant to full Ukrainian control is not a political wish but an unavoidable requirement of international law and a necessary prerequisite for maintaining nuclear safety in Europe,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. Since then, the plant has repeatedly drawn international attention due to risks to nuclear safety. Ukraine and its international partners have repeatedly stated that the presence of Russian military personnel and equipment on the territory of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant creates a dangerous situation.
Kyiv insists that the only way to guarantee the plant’s safety is through its demilitarization, de-occupation, and return to the control of the legitimate Ukrainian operator, Energoatom. This is stated in the Foreign Ministry’s statement.
In occupied Energodar, Alexander Yakovlev, the so-called chief engineer of the seized Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, was killed when a drone struck a service vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was also killed at the scene. This was stated by Alexei Likhachev, head of the Russian state corporation “Rosatom.”
Russian troops are effectively using the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar as a military base. On July 13, the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) warned of the danger of stationing such forces and equipment on the territory of a nuclear facility.
Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, released a new report on the results of the Ukrainian military’s operations. According to him, over the past 24 hours, on July 12, 1,725 unique enemy targets were destroyed or struck.
In addition, the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces, in coordination with the Main Intelligence Directorate and the State Border Guard Service, struck one of Rosneft’s largest oil refineries. A key industrial facility in the southern Volga region was also targeted.
