Russia reassures UN it did not attack nuclear plant, blames Ukraine

The Russian government confirmed to the United Nations on Friday (4) that its forces had not attacked Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plantin southeastern Ukraine, and attributed the fighting at the facility to an operation by Ukrainian saboteurs to try to pin the blame on Moscow.

“This is all part of an unprecedented campaign of lies and disinformation against Russia,” Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia said during an emergency meeting of the Security Council to address the incident in Zaporizhia.

According to Nebenzia, Russian forces had been in control of the facility and its surroundings since February 28, and on Thursday (3) it was attacked by the “Ukrainian sabotage group”, which was said to have set the building on fire before it was repelled by the Kremlin’s forces. escape.

Copy submitted by the Ambassador to the United Nations Coincides with the show that was given a short time ago in Moscow By Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov, who denounced the whole incident in Zaporizhia as a “provocation”.

Vasily Nebenzia stressed that the Russian military is doing everything in its power to “ensure the safety of Ukrainian nuclear facilities,” and denounced “a massive anti-Russian propaganda campaign based on accusations that Russia is trying to create a source of radioactive contamination.”

“I ask you to think: why do we do this? We are most interested in maintaining nuclear security and public security in Ukraine. We are Ukraine’s neighbors, and together with Belarusians and Ukrainians, we have lived through the Chernobyl tragedy,” the diplomat said. .

Regarding the situation at the factory, Nebenzia confirmed that the fire had been put out and that Radiation levels are normal While the plant continues to operate “normally according to technical requirements”.

According to the Russian ambassador, no essential part of the facility was damaged, and he explained that one reactor is down for maintenance, two were temporarily separated by a decision of the station employees, two are being cooled and the other is in operation.

The Chinese delegation to the United Nations thanked Russia for its clarification after Western powers accused Moscow’s forces of having nearly caused a nuclear disaster.