Russian nuclear head says Ukraine attacked fuel trucks, endangered Zaporizhzhia plant

On Sunday, Russia's nuclear energy corporation head Alexei Likhachev accused Ukraine of attacking diesel fuel trucks near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, claiming the act endangered safety at the facility. The attack, which occurred on Friday, resulted in the deaths of two Russian servicemen and injuries to several others.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest nuclear power station with six reactors, fell under Russian control in the early stages of the war that erupted in February 2022. Both Russia and Ukraine have frequently blamed each other for actions that threaten the plant's safety and escalate risks of a nuclear accident.

Likhachev's statement indicated Ukrainian forces carried out "a series of combined strikes" on Friday, targeting fuel trucks delivering diesel to the station. The strikes targeted areas very close to the perimeter of the plant's site, he added. "Two servicemen were killed, and a large number of Russian soldiers were injured, some seriously. They were all involved in supporting this purely civilian mission," Likhachev asserted.

Fuel is crucial for the plant's operation. Diesel generators supply power to keep nuclear fuel in the reactors cool when the plant's external power links are down. In August and September, both external power links were down for nearly three weeks. Ukraine has demanded that Russia relinquish control of the station and restore operational responsibility to Kyiv, a demand Moscow has rejected. Currently, the fuel at the plant is not generating electricity.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N. nuclear watchdog, has maintained a permanent observer team at the Zaporizhzhia plant, alongside Ukraine's three other operational nuclear power stations. The agency has consistently served as an intermediary in resolving disputes and recently facilitated a local ceasefire to facilitate repairs and restore external power links.