Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the safety of Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is under Russian control, has been a focus of international attention. According to Reuters report on July 15th, Viktor Khristianov, president of Rosatom, stated in a statement that Alexander Yakovlev, the chief engineer of Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, was killed by Ukrainian drones that day.
Likhachov said that at the junction between Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant and the city of Enerhodar, Yakovlev's car was attacked by Ukrainian drones, resulting in the death of Yakovlev and the driver. He urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to respond quickly and specifically to this incident.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant IC photo
Lihachov accused Western countries of ignoring Ukraine's attacks on nuclear power plants, saying that this had "encouraged an escalation of terrorist activities in Ukraine." He added that attacks in the area where the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is located have resulted in 13 deaths and 48 injuries over the past two and a half months.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova said on social media that Russia has asked the IAE and other relevant international agencies to issue statements condemning Ukraine regarding this incident.
As of now, Ukraine has not commented on this incident. IAEA Director General Yuki Miyagiri condemned the attack, but did not specifically mention Ukraine or Russia. He said, "This is an unacceptable attack on the nuclear power plant and its management, posing a serious threat to nuclear safety."
