The Russian Ministry of Defense reportedly repelled Ukrainian subversion group that attempted a provocation near the site of the Zaporozhskaya nuclear power plant.
“Last night, the Kiev nationalist regime attempted to implement a monstrous provocation on the territory adjacent to the power plant,” Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a news conference on Friday.
The spokesman claimed that a mobile patrol of the Russian Guard was attacked by a Ukrainian sabotage group while patrolling the protected area adjacent to the station at about 02:00 on March 4. In order to provoke return fire at the building, heavy fire from small arms was opened at the servicemen of the Russian Guard from the windows on several floors of the training complex located outside the power plant.
“The firefighting teams that arrived at the building put out the fire,” the spokesman went on to say. “At the time of the provocation, none of the staff of the power plant was in the training building.”
“Currently, the staff of the Zaporozhskaya NPP continues to work as usual, maintaining the NPP facilities and monitoring the radioactive situation,” he said. “The radioactivity level in the area of the power plant is normal.”
Zaporozhye NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe in terms of installed capacity. It is located in Energodar. The plant’s six VVER-1000 power units were built according to the V-320 project. The first power unit was put into operation in December 1984, the sixth – in October 1995.
U.N. atomic chief Rafael Grossi also confirmed that no damage was done to reactors at the plant, and there was no release of radioactive material. Two members of security staff were injured when a projectile hit a training centre close to but separate from the row of reactor units. It happened overnight, soon after the Ukrainian authorities reported a battle with Russian troops near the plant, which is currently operating at just a small fraction of its capacity with one of its six units still running.
