Biased statements on Zaporozhye NPP encourage Kiev to pursue attacks
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Russian diplomat Mikhail Ulyanov slams the report by 40 Countries on ZNPP as biased and constitutes an incentive for Ukraine to further carry out attacks on the facility.
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Zaporozhye NPP
A statement made by over 40 countries on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is biased and can only encourage Ukraine to continue attacking the facility, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna, said on Monday.
A statement by 40 countries, including the United States, member states of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and others called on Russia to hand over the power plant to Ukraine.
"It's surprising, but in the joint statement, which, as follows from the headline, is dedicated to the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, this statement does not say a word about the fact that this plant is subjected to systematic shelling. Of course, I understand that the co-authors of this document are biased and cannot afford to say directly that the shelling is carried out by the Ukrainian side, but, probably, one could at least mention this fact, even if in a neutral way, but this was not done," Ulyanov told the Rossiya 24 TV channel.
The Russian diplomat added that the statement has nothing to do with real politics and can only "encourage Kiev to continue missile and artillery strikes on the facility."
Read more: Russia to facilitate IAEA visit to Zaporozhye NPP: FM
In March, Russian forces took full control of the NPP; the Kherson region and most of the Zaporozhye region in Ukraine are now controlled by Russian military forces and local military-civilian administrations that have been formed there.
Since then, Ukraine has waged several attacks on the plant. On July 20, three Kamikaze drones belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces targeted the Zaporozhye NPP. A second attack occurred on August 5, which caused two electricity transmission lines to be cut off.
Over 10,000 inhabitants from the region have been left without power and water due to the aggression.
The head of the Zaporozhye region, Yevhen Balytskyi, said on August 11 that the authorities were prepared to host IAEA experts and ensure their safety, the Rossiya 24 broadcaster reported. But the UN has been preventing this visit from happening, claiming Moscow has been using the plant maliciously, which Russia repeatedly denied.
Read more: Zaporozhye NPP working as usual after more Ukrainian shelling
