Rosatom Warns of Nuclear Risk at Russian-Held Zaporizhzhia Plant

The head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom has warned that the situation around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is approaching a “point of no return”, while accusing Kyiv of stepping up attacks near the site.

The claim, carried by Russian media, was echoed by the plant’s Russia-installed management, which said Ukrainian forces had attacked the facility for a third consecutive day. No immediate Ukrainian response to the latest allegation was available.

“We are getting closer and closer to the point of no return, and all of Europe now needs to expend efforts to de-escalate the situation around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant”, Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev was quoted as saying.

“This is playing with fire and is, in the first instance, dangerous for Eastern European countries.”

According to Likhachev, about 2,600 metric tons of nuclear fuel remain at the plant. The facility no longer generates electricity, but its systems must keep running to prevent the fuel from overheating.

The plant’s management said the latest drone attack had caused no injuries or damage. It added that International Atomic Energy Agency monitors saw damage from a Sunday incident, when the management claimed Ukrainian shelling had struck a transport workshop.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power station, was seized by Russian forces in the first weeks of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of military activity that could endanger nuclear safety at the site.

(reuters, bak)