Kuleba warns OSCE about risks of Russian terrorist attack on ZNPP

This was reported by the Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs official website.

Dmytro Kuleba spoke online at the OSCE Chairmanship's Security Review Conference.

"Today, Russia is threatening Ukraine and the entire OSCE area with a radiation incident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. No matter what Russian propaganda says, it is Russia and only Russia that has the motivation and means to cause an incident at ZNPP," the minister said.

Kuleba emphasised that by occupying the plant and turning it into a military base, Russia is using ZNPP as an instrument of nuclear blackmail.

"I do not know what else needs to happen for the OSCE participating states to recognise the obvious: Russia has no place at this table," emphasised Dmytro Kuleba.

The Minister reminded that the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station brought Russia's war crimes to a new level, and the true extent of its consequences for people and the environment can only be assessed later.

"Russia's impunity, illegal detention of OSCE staff and the theft of more than 70 OSCE vehicles cannot be tolerated. There can be no discussions with a country whose president is wanted by the ICC for the war crime of abducting Ukrainian children. There can be no hope for a civilised dialogue with a country that launches intense missile and drone strikes on densely populated residential areas, commits mass atrocities, torture, rape and intimidation of the civilian population. There can be no search for understanding with the aggressor, who is trying to destroy Ukrainian statehood and national identity," said Kuleba.

According to Kuleba, Ukraine has no choice but to fight for its freedom and restore its territorial integrity. He reminded that Ukraine has a holistic vision of restoring a just and lasting peace, which is set out in detail in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Peace Formula.

"We live in a time of challenges, when discussions without pragmatic solutions no longer work. If we want to preserve the OSCE and our collective commitment to the values and principles of the Helsinki Final Act, we need to find a way to suspend Russia's participation in the OSCE," Minister Kuleba concluded.  

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister called on the OSCE to actively participate in the implementation of the Peace Formula.

Photo: MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The threat of a terrorist attack and the situation at Zaporizhzhia NPP

Russians occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP in late February 2022. Since then, there has been a constant presence of personnel and military equipment, which the invaders store in machine rooms and occasionally deploy to positions for shelling the territories of the Nikopol district in the Dnipropetrovsk region, located on the other side of the Kakhovka Reservoir.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has a monitoring mission at the station, which is supposed to ensure that the nuclear power plant is not used as a military base, that it is not attacked, and that no fire is initiated from the NPP. Power outages at the nuclear power plant occur regularly though. Occupiers began importing explosives to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant last year.

It became known in May 2023 that the Russians had placed explosives in the turbine room of the  ZNPP’s fourth power unit. Additionally, the invaders have nearly completely destroyed the emergency readiness and response system at the nuclear power plant.

On June 22, the Director-General of the IAEA, after visiting ZNPP Grossi, stated that the situation at the plant is extremely unstable. On the same day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that intelligence had received information that Russia was considering a scenario for a terrorist act at the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which would cause a radiation release. He also emphasized that the world has sufficient strength to prevent any radiation incidents and even a radiation catastrophe – action must be taken and pressure must be applied. However, the spokesperson for the President of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Peskov, called Zelenskyy's statement a lie.

In turn, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expects a clear assessment from the IAEA regarding Russia's criminal actions and has appealed to the international community, including the Group of Seven (G7) and the European Union, to take urgent measures to prevent a nuclear catastrophe at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

According to the ISW’s report, in the event of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the Russian occupation forces in Enerhodar will not be able to control its consequences. Presumably, by indicating preparations for sabotage at the plant, the Russians are trying to persuade the Armed Forces of Ukraine to refrain from conducting counteroffensive operations in this area.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has established headquarters for assistance, and rescue teams will conduct training to mitigate the consequences of a possible terrorist attack by Russians at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

The Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, stated that Russia has completed preparations for a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

On June 25, Zelenskyy held talks with Biden, Trudeau, and Duda, noting that "the world is not reacting adequately to the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant."

Energoatom reported that as of 27 June, the situation at the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was under control, with the water level in the cooling pond stable.

On June 29, special training will be conducted among the citizens in Zaporizhzhia in case of an emergency situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Also, Askad Ashurbekov, a deputy of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Council, told Espreso that the Zaporizhzhia regional authorities are taking coordination measures and developing models for the potential evacuation of people due to the threat of a Russian terrorist attack on the Zaporizhzhia NPP.