Ukraine Denies Killing Chief Engineer at Russia-Held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Amid Accusations
On Thursday, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry denied Russian claims that Kyiv was responsible for the death of Alexander Yakovlev, the chief engineer of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russia alleged that Yakovlev was killed in a targeted Ukrainian drone strike near the facility, which is currently under Russian military control. The Ukrainian ministry dismissed these accusations as baseless and accused Moscow of using them to intimidate the international community about the risk of a nuclear disaster, aiming to curb Ukraine's military efforts.
The Zaporizhzhia plant, located near Enerhodar on the Dnipro River, is Europe's largest nuclear power station. It was seized by Russian forces in March 2022, shortly after the invasion began. Since then, the plant and its surroundings have been repeatedly hit by drones and other weapons, with both sides blaming each other for the attacks. Despite warnings from Ukraine, Russia, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about the potential for a nuclear catastrophe similar to Chernobyl, shelling has continued. The nearby city of Enerhodar, home to most plant staff, has also been frequently targeted.
Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom's head, Alexey Likhachev, announced Yakovlev's death, stating the engineer was killed alongside his driver when a Ukrainian drone struck a service vehicle traveling between the plant and Enerhodar. Likhachev condemned Western silence on the attacks, which he said encouraged Ukraine's "terrorist actions." He added that 13 people have died and 48 were injured in attacks on the area over the past six months.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the killing a crime by Kyiv's regime and demanded international condemnation, especially from the IAEA. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi condemned the attack on the plant and its leadership but did not assign blame. He called for an immediate halt to all attacks around the facility to ensure nuclear safety.
The Zaporizhzhia plant's six reactors are currently shut down but require external power to maintain cooling systems. Power supplies have been repeatedly cut during the conflict, forcing staff to rely on diesel generators to prevent a nuclear accident. Russian authorities have not provided further details or released images of the alleged attack, and the plant's official Telegram channels have not previously mentioned Yakovlev. Typically, Yuri Chernichuk, the plant director appointed by Moscow and former chief engineer, speaks publicly about the facility.
