April 16, 2024 (EIRNS)—The UN Security Council finally met yesterday to consider the Russian complaint that drones had fired on their Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) on April 7, 8, and 9. The top of the containment dome of Unit 6 reactor building was hit on April 7. Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council that Ukrainian forces have been “systematically” targeting the plant and surrounding areas. He stated that “The armed forces of the Russian Federation detected and suppressed up to a hundred-plus unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) per week.”
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi stated: “Whilst the damage to the structure is superficial, the attack sets a very dangerous precedent of the successful targeting of the reactor containment.” He warned that “these reckless attacks must cease immediately.”
However, once again Grossi left the door open for craziness to dominate the proceedings. He said that the IAEA does not have the mandate to determine who is responsible for the assault on the ZNPP, but also argued that “indisputable evidence” is needed to establish who is responsible. Apparently, having IAEA personnel at the plant, along with the Russian workforce, having the residue from the explosives, and having some of the Russian workforce injured in the assault, leaves the IAEA unable to make such a determination.
Of some usefulness, after the session, Grossi did tell reporters that, in fact, there “is no heavy weaponry” kept by the Russians at the facility, nothing there except the small arms kept by security personnel. Kyiv’s claims that Russia’s military was using the facility to launch artillery fire upon Ukraine, miles away, was refuted. However, the animals were out of the barn.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated on Facebook, as reported by Ukrinform, that Russia has been bombing itself so that it could blame Ukraine. Hence, “Russia is the only terrorist in the world that holds a NPP hostage and uses it to blackmail Ukraine and the entire world. No one else, except for Russian terrorists, has brought the world so close to the brink of a deliberate radiation catastrophe. These are deliberate Russian actions that continue the Russian practice of blackmailing our country and the entire international community with the risk of a catastrophe at ZNPP. As long as Russian terrorists are at ZNPP, keep their military equipment there and have the ability to conduct their operations, the safety of the plant cannot be guaranteed.” Assumedly, that means that more explosives will be hurled at the plant.
Also, Kyiv’s Military Intelligence Directorate spokesman Andrey Yusov had told Ukrainian TV: “The position of Ukraine is clear and unequivocal: We are not conducting any military activities or provocations against nuclear.” And Andrey Kovalenko, the head of the Presidency’s hit list, Center for Countering Disinformation, accused Moscow of spreading false information and “manipulating the IAEA.” Then, at yesterday’s UNSC hearing, Ukraine testified that the “low-powered short-range drones” that hit the facility could not do any real damage—which is the case—but that that was evidence that Russians were firing at themselves; and yet, the threat of a nuclear disaster remained, so the West needed to force Russia out of the plant.
The inimitable Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, on April 9 had posted on his X account: “Reckless drone attack against nuclear power plant increases risk of dangerous nuclear accident. Such attacks must stop. Russia should withdraw from Zaporizhzhia [sic] nuclear power plant.” The Finally, EU Permanent Representative to the UN Stavros Lambrinidis told the UNSC hearing that, since Russia had seized the plant in February 2022, the ZNPP then became a direct target in a military action (assumedly of Ukraine’s assaults upon the plant). Regardless: “It once again underscores that Russia’s illegal seizure of the plant significantly increases risks to nuclear safety and security, potentially leading to accidents with severe consequences for Ukraine, and beyond.”