Russia has leveled a serious accusation against Ukraine, claiming Kyiv is carrying out a deliberate campaign against employees of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Europe's largest nuclear facility. Rosatom CEO Aleksey Likhachev alleged that Ukrainian drone attacks have evolved from targeting infrastructure to directly targeting plant personnel, after a strike in Energodar reportedly wounded four civilians, including two ZNPP workers, one of whom later died.
Escalating Threats at Europe's Largest Nuclear Plant
Likhachev warned that any major incident at the nuclear facility could have consequences extending far beyond Ukraine and Russia, potentially affecting large parts of Europe. He also claimed that attacks have escalated from auxiliary facilities and energy infrastructure to key plant equipment and now plant employees.
Continued Fighting in Sensitive Region
The latest accusations come amid continued fighting around the Zaporizhzhia region, one of the most sensitive flashpoints in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The ZNPP has been under Russian control since early in the war, but Ukrainian forces have repeatedly denied targeting the plant itself, instead accusing Russia of using the facility as a shield for military operations.
International atomic energy officials have repeatedly called for a demilitarized zone around the plant to prevent a nuclear catastrophe. The latest allegations, if confirmed, would mark a dangerous new phase in the conflict, directly endangering plant workers and increasing the risk of a radiological disaster.
