Russian drone pilots trained at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, claims Ukraine
Russian troops are training drone pilots at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which they occupy, and are attacking areas controlled by Ukraine from its territory, stated Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian government-linked Center for Countering Disinformation.
"The Russians are using the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as a training ground for FPV drone pilots. Moreover, these pilots are terrorizing Nikopol (under Ukrainian control), using this Ukrainian city with civilians as a training ground. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is actually a cover for the Russian military," Kovalenko wrote on Telegram.
Located in Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, in southern Ukraine, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is the largest nuclear power station in Europe. Since March 2022, it has been controlled by occupying Russian forces.
The authorities in Kyiv are sounding the alarm that the presence of Russians at this facility creates the danger of a disaster and believe that Moscow is blackmailing the world with this threat. They are also demanding the return of the plant to Ukrainian control and the restoration of compliance with all safety standards.
Element of nuclear blackmail
Russia is blackmailing the world with the threat of a catastrophe at the ZNPP. It is using the plant’s territory as a launching ground for attacks on Nikopol and other nearby communities, and it is storing military equipment and ammunition on the territory of the ZNPP, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in August.
Another element of nuclear blackmail, according to Ukrainian authorities, is the flight of Russian attack drones near other operational nuclear plants in their country.
Last week, there were two incidents near the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Netishyn in western Ukraine. That's just under 200 kilometres in a straight line from the border with Poland.
On September 20, the authorities of the Khmelnytskyi region reported that one Russian attack drone flew right next to the plant. On September 23, the Ukrainian state-owned company Energoatom stated that Russian troops simulated a drone attack on its facilities. Energoatom considered this action by Russia as an intensification of energy terror.
