Russia assures the UN that it did not attack a nuclear plant and blames the Ukrainians

The Russian ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, called it a “lie” that Russia had attacked the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, in a emergency meeting of the Security Council to analyze the situation.

The accusation “is part of a campaign of lies” against Russia, said the ambassador who accused the Ukrainian authorities of creating “artificial hysteria”.

The attack on Zapariyia, the largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine and Europe, which caused a fire without consequences on radioactivity levelsparalyzed the world in fear of a new atomic catastrophe.

“All the plant’s facilities are under the control of the Russian forces, security is guaranteed and it works normally,” said the diplomat, who assured Russia has controlled the facilities since February 28.

“As a result of the negotiations with the authorities of the plant, we have reached an agreement so that it passes under the control of the Russian forces” he assured to “prevent its use by Ukrainian nationalists and other terrorist groups” that use it to “create provocations or accidents and allow the supply of energy to the Ukrainian population and the European population”.

The situation is similar to the area around the Chernobyl power plant, he said, blaming Ukrainian forces who fired on Russian military and set fire to a training center adjacent to the plant.

UN denounces illegal and irresponsible attack

Attacks on a nuclear power plant, such as the one launched by Russian forces against the Ukrainian plant in Zaporizhia, are contrary to international standards and highly irresponsible, as denounced on Friday by the head of UN Political Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo.

“Military operations around nuclear facilities and other civilian infrastructure are not only unacceptable, but highly irresponsible”, DiCarlo told the United Nations Security Council, meeting urgently to discuss the Russian attack on Zaporizhia, in southeastern Ukraine.

The UN official stressed that the attacks against nuclear power plants violate international humanitarian law and urged the parties to work with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to guarantee the safety of the plant and allow personnel from that agency to travel to Ukraine to work with regulators.

The Chinese delegation to the UN thanked Russia for its clarification, after Western powers accused Moscow’s forces of having caused a nuclear catastrophe. (I)