Ukrainian forces will start targeting Russian soldiers who fire from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, according to an announcement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In a video address, Zelensky repeated his accusations that Russia is using the ZNPP as “nuclear blackmail” against Europe and claimed once again that invading Russian forces are firing at their own positions in and around the plant. He added a new threat to Russian soldiers operating in the nuclear facility, saying they will now be targeted by Ukrainian forces.
“Every Russian military officer who either shoots at the plant, or shoots under cover of the plant, must understand that he becomes a special target for our intelligence, for our special services, for our army,” he warned.
The Zelensky regime is carrying out nuclear blackmail by shelling the Zaporozhya nuclear power plant — and then they are blaming the Russians, claiming that THEY are the ones committing nuclear blackmail!
And the West uncritically accepts this.pic.twitter.com/nhRAIVkSye
— Gonzalo Lira (@GonzaloLira1968) August 14, 2022
Ukraine has fervently denied recently attacking the plant, accusing Russian forces of staging the attacks themselves. Strikes by kamikaze drones were reported by Russian officials in July.
Russia is accused by Ukraine of turning the ZNPP into a military base, using the threat of a nuclear disaster to shield its forces. Petro Kotin, the head of Energoatom, told the BBC that 500 Russians are stationed at the base with rocket launchers that fire at Ukrainian positions from the plant. The BBC reported that it could not independently verify the claims.
Ukraine and Russia have traded blame over the shelling of the nuclear plant, something the International Atomic Energy Agency warned has caused a “very real risk of a nuclear disaster.” Vladimir Rogov, a council member for Russia’s Civil-Military Administration in the Zaporizhzhia region, claimed on his Telegram channel almost daily attacks on the plant for the past week. He announced a recent attack with the title, “Energodar’s terror from UkroReich or ‘They fired at themselves,'” with Energodar being the city attached to the plant. The council member claims that the attacks on the plant all come from the Ukrainians.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the plant remained in good condition late last week.
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“Based on the most recent information provided by Ukraine, IAEA experts have preliminary assessed that there is no immediate threat to nuclear safety as a result of the shelling or other recent military actions. However, this could change at any moment,” he told the United Nations Security Council. “I ask that both sides of this armed conflict cooperate with the IAEA and allow for a mission to the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant as soon as possible. Time is of the essence.”
