Zelensky: Russia Plans Attacks on Three Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plants
Russia is developing a plan to attack Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPPs) using satellite images transmitted by other countries. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated this during his address at the UN General Assembly on September 25, 2024. The President added that he had recently received a new alarming report from Ukrainian intelligence officers.
"Now, Putin does seem to be planning attacks on our nuclear power plants and their infrastructure, aiming to disconnect the plants from the power grid. With the help of satellites, by the way, satellites of other countries, Russia is getting images and detailed information about the infrastructure of our nuclear power plants," Zelensky stated. He emphasized that if Russia causes a nuclear disaster at one of Ukraine's nuclear power plants, radiation "does not respect state borders, and, unfortunately, different countries may experience devastating consequences."
Volodymyr Zelensky speaking at the UN General Assembly debate. September 2024. Photo credits: Office of the President
Prior to this, Zelensky spoke at a UN Security Council meeting, during which he stated that Russia wanted to attack three Ukrainian nuclear power plants and that Kyiv had the relevant evidence.
"This fall they have become even more cynical. They are preparing to attack our three nuclear power plants. We have this information, we have evidence.
If Russia is ready to go this far, it means that no values matter to Moscow," Zelensky said. Previously, Zelensky said in an interview with ABC News that Russia was using Chinese satellites to take pictures of Ukrainian nuclear power plants and that there was a threat of a strike on them. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that, according to intelligence, the Kremlin is preparing strikes on Ukraine's critical nuclear energy facilities ahead of winter.
He urged the IAEA to ensure a permanent expanded presence of missions at these facilities.
In this regard, the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to International Organizations in Vienna sent an official note to the IAEA that Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy sector pose a risk to the operation of nuclear facilities.
Map of active nuclear power plants of Ukraine
The statement was made after the shelling on August 26, when power units 1, 3 and 4 of the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant were disconnected from the grid.
As previously reported, in August 2024, German prosecutors launched an investigation into drone flights over industrial facilities in the north of the country, including nuclear power plants.