Read also: Russia opens fire at Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant again – Energoatom
Nebenzya claimed Russia is “safeguarding” the facility against potential “terrorist attacks.”
“Demilitarizing the (nuclear) power station could leave it vulnerable to anyone willing to pay a visit,” said Nebenzya.
“Nobody knows what these potential visitors would be after. We can’t rule out some sort of provocations or terrorist attacks against the power station – which we ought to safeguard.”
Read also: Invaders preparing serious provocation at Zaporizhzhya NPP, says Energoatom
Nebenzya’s lies come as a threat following repeated shelling of the European continent’s largest nuclear plant, implying that Russia intends to continue to wield the ZNPP as a nuclear cudgel against Ukraine and the rest of Europe.
A Russian shell nearly hit one of the facility’s reactors on Aug. 11. At the same time, Russia has convened the UN Security Council meeting to discuss the incident, hoping to use it to shift the blame to Kyiv’s armed forces.
Bonnie Jenkins, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs, said that Russia is fully responsible for the looming risk of a nuclear catastrophe, and urged Moscow to cede Zaporizhzhia NPP back to Ukraine.
The Russian general, Valerii Vasyliev, in charge of the plant has previously threatened that the area will “either Russian land or a scorched desert here,” and has claimed to have mined the entirety of the station.
Read also: Russia exploiting Zaporizhzhia NPP to play on West’s fears – ISW
If the Russians do trigger a nuclear incident at the ZNPP, much of Eastern Europe will likely suffer from radioactive poisoning for centuries to come.
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
