Russia: "Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Attack Carried Out by Ukrainian Organization"

"Ukrainian Forces Initiate Attack... Russian Military Repels and Extinguishes Fire"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that the attack on the Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant complex was not carried out by them but by a Ukrainian sabotage group.

According to major foreign media including CNN, Igor Konashenkov, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Defense, made this claim on the 4th (local time). He stated that the Ukrainian sabotage organization attacked the nuclear power plant complex guarded by Russian forces, and that this was a plot to disguise the attack as Russian actions and blame Russia.

According to spokesperson Konashenkov, Russian forces occupied the area around the nuclear power plant complex in Enerhodar, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine, on the 28th (local time). He claimed, "The Ukrainian troops guarding the power plant disappeared in an unknown direction before the Russian forces arrived," and "The facilities and territory around the nuclear power plant complex were guarded by Russian forces."

He added that the nuclear power plant staff were operating the facility normally, but the Ukrainian forces began a "strange provocation" early that day. Konashenkov said, "Around 2 a.m. on the 4th, Russian forces patrolling the nuclear power plant complex were attacked by a Ukrainian sabotage group," and "They were suppressed by Russian return fire, and the Ukrainian forces deliberately set fire to a training building."

He continued, "The fire brigade arrived at the building and extinguished the fire, and there was no regular power plant staff in the building at the time of the Ukrainian sabotage group's provocation," adding, "Currently, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant staff are working as usual, monitoring radiation levels, and the radiation situation in the surrounding area is normal."

This contradicts the Ukrainian side's claim that the Russian military's shelling of the nuclear power plant complex caused a fire in the training building. Meanwhile, CNN stated that it was unable to immediately verify the detailed circumstances of this situation.

Meanwhile, spokesperson Konashenkov claimed, "The Kyiv (capital of Ukraine) regime's provocation at the nuclear power plant is an attack aimed at blaming Russia for causing radioactive contamination."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.