Zaporizhzhia NPP on the verge of risk: Kremlin tries to accuse Ukraine of its own crimes

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has recorded critical nuclear safety violations at the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP. Instead, Russia is trying to shift responsibility for the dangerous situation onto Ukraine, using propaganda narratives.

This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation (CDC).

According to the Central Nuclear Safety Commission, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi reported on September 8 that 6 out of 7 key pillars of nuclear safety have been violated at the ZNPP. In particular, the plant operates on only one external power supply line, all reactors are in a cold shutdown state, and the water level in the cooling pool has reached critical levels.

For three days after this statement, the Kremlin media did not comment on the situation. Only after the speech of the Russian Permanent Representative to International Organizations Mikhail Ulyanov did a wave of reports appear in the information space that completely repeated Moscow’s official line.

Ulyanov, in his statement, tried to:

• to present the ZNPP as “Russian territory”,
• downplay the importance of the IAEA mission,
• shift the blame for the shelling and “pressure on personnel” onto Ukraine,
• question the universality of the 7 pillars of nuclear safety.

According to the CPR, in this way Russia is trying to absolve itself of responsibility for the catastrophic state of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, shifting the blame to Ukraine and simultaneously attacking the authority of the IAEA.

As is known, Russian troops captured the Zaporizhzhia NPP on March 4, 2022, during the battles for Energodar. It was then that a fire broke out on the territory of the plant, which did not damage the reactors, but since then the stability and safety of the facility have been under constant threat.

Recall that in August, the IAEA reported that the Zapadnaya NPP was experiencing increasing difficulties in providing water supply for the plant’s 6 power units.

Earlier , a fire hazard was recorded at the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP – this time in the cargo port area near the power units . Dry reeds were burning at the site of the destroyed Kakhovka reservoir.

We would like to add that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expressed deep concern over the latest IAEA data , which once again confirm Russia’s cynical and irresponsible use of the Zaporizhzhia NPP as a military facility. The department emphasized that the station has effectively become a “nuclear shield” to cover the shelling of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

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