US says Russia using Ukrainian power plant as a ‘nuclear shield’

The United States has accused Russia of using Ukraine’s biggest nuclear power plant as a “nuclear shield” by stationing troops there, preventing Ukrainian forces from returning fire and risking a terrible nuclear accident.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US was “deeply concerned” that the Zaporizhzhia plant, which Russia was accused of firing shells dangerously close to in March, was now a Russian military base used to fire on nearby Ukrainian forces.

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•  Russia fully rejects US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s claims that its forces use the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (NPP) as a military base, the Russian delegation said in a comment.  

"In his statement at the 10th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), US Secretary of State A.Blinken accused Russian forces of using the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant as a military base," the delegation said in a statement, posted on the mission’s official website. "We strongly reject such allegations. We repeatedly stated that actions of our Armed Forces in no way undermine Ukraine’s nuclear security or impede routine operation of the NPP."

  "Over the recent months, Ukrainian armed formations held a series of provocations that used UAVs (i.a. those delivered by NATO states) and aimed at sabotaging the normal operation of the NPP, frightening its personnel, undermining security of the power plant, and ultimately, creating a threat of a nuclear disaster. We specifically raised this issue at a Security Council meeting on 29 July 2022. When taking such steps, Kiev has full support of the United States and other Western states," the statement reads.