Russian President Vladimir Putin was asked, at last week’s Valdai Discussion Club conference, about the still-unresolved cutoff of external electrical power for the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). Both the main line and the backup line have been inoperative since September 23. He answered prior to the latest (October 7) artillery attack, saying:
“The difficulty, as you understand, is that these sites lie within range of Ukrainian artillery; they are hitting these places and actually do not allow our repair teams to approach.” Asked about Kiev’s allegations that it is Russia that is shelling ZNPP, he replied: “But Mr. Grossi was there, and the IAEA staff are also there. They keep quiet, embarrassed by the processes that are actually taking place, but they see everything. They all see that’s going on. Well, are we striking our own [plant]? It’s clear that this is nonsense.”
Then he warned: “It’s a dangerous game. And people on the other side should also understand: if they play with this so dangerously, they have nuclear power plants operating on their side, and what prevents us from responding in a mirror way? Let them think about it.”
