Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Greenpeace Germany has today warned that Russian claims that on 7th of April 2024 Ukraine is targeting their own nuclear plant with UAV drones is almost certainly misleading propaganda. Based on Ukrainian drone tackers, the environmental organisation has concluded that the Russian armed forces have been deliberately using the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant as a protective shield and waypoint in their Shahed UAV (drone) attacks on communities in Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts in the last months. Greenpeace Germany is deeply concerned that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) appears to be once again failing to identify Russia and Rosatom, which is the Russian state nuclear corporation, as the real cause of the multiple nuclear safety and security risks at the plant.
Since the attack and seizure of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in March 2022 by Russian armed forces, the Russian Foreign Ministry has claimed that thousands of Ukraine UAV’s have been fired to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and the nearby city of Energodar. The most recent submission to the IAEA by the Russian Foreign Ministry, (so called Information Circulars) claims that between 25th March and 1st April, 63 UAVs were fired by Ukraine to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and Energodar.(1) One week before the Russian government claimed that 89 UAVs were fired against the nuclear plant by Ukraine,(2) and between the 11-18 March, 92 UAVs attacked the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.(3)
“The claims by Rosatom and the Russian government about drone attacks by Ukraine, submitted to IAEA, lack any credibility and are almost certainly false flags. If we add up all the claims of the Russian Foreign Ministry submitted to IAEA over the last five weeks, 680 UAVs were fired by the Ukraine military against the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and the nearby city of Enerhodar. This is absurd. The real threat to the safety and security of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant comes directly from Rosatom’s illegal occupation and Russia’s war against Ukraine”, said Shaun Burnie, senior nuclear specialist with Greenpeace Germany.
Greenpeace has long warned that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is being used for military purposes by the Russian armed forces. (4) In the last few days there is new evidence that indicates Russian armed forces are using the nuclear plant to protect their Shahed drones from early interception by Ukraine missile defense forces. According to Shahed tracker (5) on 6 April multiple UAV’s were fired from Cape Chauda in Russian occupied Crimea. The maps published show the UAVS followed a track for nearly 300 km passing within 5km of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. After passing the plant, they crossed over the former Kakhovka Sea and hit communities in Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on 8th April, responding to Rosatom claims of Ukrainian drone attacks, stated that “reckless (UAV) attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately, and urged both sides to avoid actions that might “jeopardize nuclear safety”. (6)
“The IAEA Director General for whatever reason is contributing to Russian propaganda efforts by failing to cite Russia and Rosatom as the real reason that Zaporizhzhia plant is at risk of a severe nuclear disaster. Last year’s Greenpeace McKenzie’s report proved that Russian armed forces use the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant for military purposes. Now, the online drone trackers show that the Russian military is using the nuclear plant to shield their Shahed drones to reduce the interception time of the Ukraine armed forces before they hit and destroy Ukrainian communities and lives.” - added Burnie
References:
1 – Communication from the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the Agency, INFCIRC/1195, 5 April 202, see www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/publications/documents/infcircs/2024/infcirc1195.pdf
2 - Communication from the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the Agency, see INFCIRC/1192, 28 March 2024, www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/publications/documents/infcircs/2024/infcirc1192.pdf
3 - Communication from the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the Agency, INFCIRC/1189, 22 March 2024, www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/publications/documents/infcircs/2024/infcirc1189.pdf
4 – A nuclear plant as launch pad, (McKenzie report), September 2023, see www.greenpeace.de/publikationen/McKenzie_Report_Zaporizhzhia.pdf
5 – Shahed Tracker - https://twitter.com/ShahedTracker/status/1776403281033527722
6 – IAEA - https://twitter.com/iaeaorg/status/1777046194834874783
