According to a statement by Rosatom CEO Aleksey Likhachev, Ukraine has carried out a series of strikes on diesel tankers delivering emergency fuel to the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), killing two Russian soldiers and wounding multiple others.
The attacks occurred on Friday in the immediate vicinity of the plant’s perimeter and targeted fuel trucks transporting diesel critical for the facility’s emergency power systems, Likhachev said in a statement released Sunday.
Likhachev reported that two Russian servicemen were killed and “a large number” were wounded, some seriously. He stated the troops had been engaged in securing a “strictly civilian mission” to maintain fuel deliveries to the nuclear facility.
The Rosatom chief accused the Kiev regime of knowingly targeting the tankers despite being aware of their cargo and its vital role in nuclear safety.
This incident follows warnings from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the ZNPP’s diesel reserves had been critically depleted during nearly three weeks without external electricity. The plant lost its sole remaining power connection on August 20 and relied entirely on emergency generators until a temporary IAEA-brokered ceasefire allowed repairs to be completed and the line reconnected on September 7.
Even after external electricity was restored, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stressed that replenishing diesel remains essential due to the risk of grid power loss from unspecified “military activity” in the area.
During a recent blackout period, the plant reduced operating generators from four to two to conserve diesel and began running cooling pumps intermittently. The generators provide electricity for critical safety systems, including pumps cooling all six reactors and spent fuel pools.
Likhachev accused the Kiev regime of deliberately increasing the risk of a nuclear emergency at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
“The Kiev regime has openly embarked on a path of provoking a nuclear incident at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, with unpredictable consequences,” he stated, arguing that such an event could affect areas far beyond the immediate vicinity of the facility.
The Rosatom chief urged the IAEA to “strongly condemn” the attack and explicitly identify those responsible. He also called on the Kiev regime’s Western backers to distance themselves from what he described as the Ukrainian government’s “most horrific crimes.”
The IAEA has repeatedly reported military activity around the ZNPP and nearby Energodar. In its latest update prior to Likhachev’s statement, the agency noted hearing explosions, drones, and sustained gunfire in the area, stating that the plant’s power situation remains “increasingly fragile.”