Russia’s defense minister warned that Ukraine’s attacks on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant threatened a catastrophe in Europe, describing them as “nuclear terrorism.”
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu emphasized that Russia will not deploy heavy weapons at or near the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s representative in international organizations in Vienna, for his part, said that two inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency will remain permanently at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
The statement comes a day after inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency entered the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, which is controlled by Russia.
A Reuters reporter saw the agency’s team arrive at the station in a huge convoy amid a heavy presence of Russian forces.
The delegation’s arrival was delayed after reports of clashes early Thursday near Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which Moscow has controlled since March.
The Russian military, in turn, accused Ukrainian forces of sending a team of “saboteurs” near the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant on the day the International Atomic Energy Agency team visited the facility.
The Ministry of Defense of Russia announced in a statement: “At around 6:00 PM GMT, two groups of saboteurs from the Ukrainian army boarded sixty people from seven boats… the power plant.”
Source: Lebanon Debate
