The largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine is under Russian control, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday criticised Moscow for using it as a "nuclear shield" to assault Ukrainian soldiers.
In March, as its forces grabbed control of the Zaporizhzhia plant during the early stages of their invasion of Ukraine, Russia was previously charged of firing shells dangerously close to the facility. View More
Blinken told reporters during nuclear nonproliferation talks at the United Nations in New York that Washington was "very worried" that Moscow was now using the facility as a military base and firing on Ukrainian soldiers from surrounding it.
“Of course the Ukrainians cannot fire back lest there be a terrible accident involving the nuclear plant,” he said.
Russia’s actions went beyond using a “human shield” Blinken said, calling it a “nuclear shield.”
The Russian mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Blinken’s remarks.
Ukrainian officials have previously accused Moscow of basing troops and storing military equipment on the grounds of the power station.
On July 20 Russia accused Ukraine of firing two drones at Zaporizhzhia, which is also the largest nuclear plant in Europe, but said the reactor was undamaged. read more
At a U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Friday, Russia’s deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy accused his Western counterparts of “deliberately” ignoring the July 20 attack and use of “explosive-laden drones of foreign manufacture to attack the plant.”
Ukraine’s state nuclear company Energoatom did not comment on the purported drone impact.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.’s atomic watchdog, should be given access to the plant, Blinken said.