The Defense Forces have denied Russia's allegations regarding strikes on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
The Ukrainian Armed Forces emphasized that Ukraine has not carried out any strikes on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. According to them, the reports being circulated by the Russian side are part of an information campaign, while Russia itself continues to use the occupied ZNPP as a tool for nuclear blackmail and a military facility.
This was reported by the Southern Defense Forces.
Ukraine denies any involvement in strikes on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and states that the reports disseminated by the Russian side are part of information provocations. Officials in Kyiv emphasize: Russia continues to use the occupied ZNPP as a tool for nuclear blackmail and military infrastructure, violating the norms of international law.
“The Russian Federation continues to use the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as a tool for nuclear blackmail and information provocations. Reports disseminated by occupation sources about an alleged strike by the Ukrainian Defense Forces on ZNPP facilities are yet another attempt to discredit Ukraine and conceal their own criminal actions,” the Defense Forces emphasized.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces did not strike Power Unit No. 6 of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Ukrainian servicemen operate strictly within the norms of international humanitarian law and are fully aware of the consequences of any actions against nuclear facilities.
The Defense Forces emphasized: “It is the Russian Federation that has been illegally holding the Zaporizhzhia NPP under military control since March 2022, turning a civilian nuclear facility into an element of military infrastructure. The enemy is violating the requirements regarding the deployment of weapons within a five-kilometer zone, placing electronic warfare equipment, weapons, military hardware, and personnel on the plant’s territory.”
Systematic manipulation of nuclear safety issues is part of the policy of nuclear terrorism that Russia is pursuing against Ukraine and the international community. The Russian side’s claims of an alleged strike by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are yet another information provocation by the aggressor state, as this is not the first such statement from Moscow. The pattern is well-established: following yet another round of losses on the front lines, a sensational accusation against Ukraine emerges, designed to divert the international audience’s attention. As is customary, the Russian side provides no evidence—and this time was no exception.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is located approximately 50 km from the land section of the front line. Nikopol—the nearest city in territory controlled by Ukraine—is situated on the other side of the former Kakhovka Reservoir, at least 10 km from the plant.
The aggressor deliberately refrains from showing high-quality photos and video footage of the alleged aftermath of the strike. Furthermore, the Ukrainian Armed Forces do not possess fiber-optic-controlled drones with such a long range, nor do they have drones equipped with a 5–6 kg cumulative warhead—which is precisely what is required to create the hole described by the Russian side. Furthermore, the occupying forces themselves set up a multi-layered smoke screen around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant—a drone could not physically fly through it unnoticed. The version promoted by Russia does not stand up to any factual scrutiny.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine operate within the framework of international humanitarian law. Article 56 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions explicitly prohibits strikes on nuclear facilities. The Armed Forces of Ukraine adhere to it. At the relevant section of the front line during the incident, no active combat operations were taking place, and no weapons were used.
As a reminder, the IAEAwarns of an increased risk of a nuclear disaster.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant recordedits 15th blackout since the start of the occupation.
Earlier, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant resumed operations on Ukraine’s power grid after a one-and-a-half-hour interruption in external power supply.
