Kiev, Moscow trade blame over nuclear plant shelling, IAEA chief warns of ‘playing with fire’

The Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesman says the Ukrainian military has shelled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power in the country’s volatile south as part of Kiev’s continued provocations.

Igor Konashenkov said the Ukrainian forces shelled the plant “twice” on Sunday and inflicted material damage on the strategic facility, adding that no radiation leakage was reported from the site. “The Kiev regime does not stop its provocations with the aim of creating a threat of industrial disaster at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.”

“In the morning of November 20, the station was shelled twice by Ukrainian force. Between 9:15 and 9:45 in the morning 12 shells were launched. Eight of them exploded between energy block 5 and special building number 2. Three of the shelled hit area between energy blocks 4 and 5. Another shell hit the roof of special building number 2. Between 10:00 and 10:10 in the morning two further shells were launched at power line that supplies electricity to the station,” he said.

The spokesman said the shelling was conducted from the city of Marhanets in the Dnipro region, which is controlled by the Ukrainian military.

“The firing devices of the enemy were neutralized by return fire of the Russian artillery,” Konashenkov said, adding, “Radiation in the area of the nuclear plant remains within norm.”

Russia's official Tass news agency cited an official from Russian nuclear power operator Rosenergoatom as saying the Zaporizhzhia plant had come under Ukrainian shelling.

TASS quoted Rosenergoatom adviser Renat Karchaa as saying that 15 shells were fired at the plant's facilities, adding the shells had been fired near a dry nuclear waste storage facility and a building housing fresh spent nuclear fuel.

Karchaa underlined that no radioactive emissions had been detected following the Ukrainian bombing.

Russia prevents Ukrainian ‘terrorist attack’ on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant: Russian official

Russian special services have thwarted a “terrorist attack” by Ukraine on Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, a senior Russian official says.

Shortly after Moscow accused Kiev of hitting the power station, Ukrainian nuclear energy agency Energoatom said Russia had shelled the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

"This morning on November 20, 2022, as a result of numerous Russian shelling, at least 12 hits were recorded on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," Energoatom said, accusing Russians of "once again... putting the whole world at risk.”

Moscow and Kiev have traded blame for months over shelling near the Russian-held facility, sparking fears of a nuclear disaster and spurring calls to demilitarize areas around atomic facilities in Ukraine.

‘You’re playing with fire!’

Meanwhile, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) condemned the shelling of the Zaporizhzhia plant on Sunday and said such attacks would risk a major nuclear disaster. “The news from our team yesterday and this morning is extremely disturbing,” said Rafael Grossi, whose team on the ground said there had been damage to some buildings, systems and equipment at the plant.

“Explosions occurred at the site of this major nuclear power plant, which is completely unacceptable. Whoever is behind this, it must stop immediately. As I have said many times before, you're playing with fire!”

Zaporizhzhia is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and among the 10 largest in the world. Russian forces seized the plant soon after Moscow began the “special military operation” on February 24. Ukraine accuses Russia of storing heavy weapons in the plant. Moscow denies the allegation.

Russia, which took control of the plant in March, says its armed forces do not damage Ukraine’s nuclear safety in any way and cause no obstacles to the plant’s operation.

Since the onset of the war, the United States and its European allies have imposed an array of sanctions on Russia and sent numerous batches of advanced weapons to Ukraine.

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