The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has expressed deep concern over the latest data from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which once again confirms the Russian Federation’s cynical and reckless use of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) as a military facility and a “nuclear shield” to cover shelling of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
The MFA said this in a statement published on its website, as reported by Ukrinform.
The MFA noted that on 6 August 2025, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, in his latest statement, drew attention to a grave incident at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. While inspecting the spent nuclear fuel storage facility at the plant, the Agency’s inspection team recorded numerous artillery salvos originating from the vicinity of the plant’s perimeter. The shelling continued for more than an hour.
“These actions are part of a deliberate and systematic tactic employed by the Russian occupying forces. By using the largest nuclear power plant in Europe as cover, the aggressor launches strikes against peaceful Ukrainian cities and villages, fully aware that any military response in the direction of the plant is constrained due to the unprecedented risk of a nuclear accident,” the MFA stressed.
The MFA recalled similar shelling in the past has already damaged critical infrastructure, including several external power lines required to meet the basic operational needs of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.
“Any incident brings us closer to the brink of a continental-scale tragedy,” the MFA stated.
The MFA stressed that the establishment of military positions on the territory of a nuclear facility and the conduct of hostilities from such a site constitutes an act of nuclear terrorism that requires a decisive and unified response from the international community.
“We call on our international partners to intensify pressure on the Russian Federation, demanding the immediate demilitarization and de-occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the return of the facility to the full control of its legitimate operator – the Ukrainian Energoatom,” the MFA stressed.
As previously reported by Ukrinform, on Saturday, August 2, the IAEA team stationed at the Zaporizhzhia NPP observed explosions and smoke rising from an auxiliary facility near the plant site.
Source: Ukrainian MFA: Russia's actions at ZNPP bring Europe closer to brink of nuclear disaster
