Ukraine has raised serious concerns over Russia’s management of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, citing reports of a significant diesel fuel spill at the facility.
Russia has controlled the nuclear plant since the early phase of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with both countries frequently accusing each other of risking a nuclear incident through attacks.
Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi shared details about the incident on X:
“We have received reports of diesel reservoir damage at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The spilled fuel was enough to power the station’s emergency generators for 25 days.”
Tykhyi did not specify the source of the reports or details regarding how and when the damage occurred but attributed it to Russia’s replacement of qualified Ukrainian personnel with Russian staff.
“Russians not only stole the plant, but they are unable to manage its basic safety,” he added.
As of now, Russia has not issued any official response regarding the reported diesel spill.
Ukraine insists that the plant’s current management under Russia has significantly deteriorated the facility, making it unsafe for operations unless control is returned to Ukraine.
However, Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated on Tuesday that the plant should now be considered a Russian facility, claiming Ukrainian control is not feasible.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump recently suggested the United States might assist in operating or potentially owning Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy clarified that ownership discussions had not occurred and rejected such a possibility.
