Ukraine’s mission to the IAEA stated that the Russian attack on its energy infrastructure on Monday was aimed at paralyzing the operation of energy facilities.
“It is a deliberate decision by Putin’s regime to threaten the world with a nuclear catastrophe,” said Andriy Yermak, head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, in a Telegram message.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on Monday that it had struck electrical substations in nine regions of Ukraine and gas compressor stations in three regions.
The IAEA has urged both sides to refrain from fighting around nuclear power plants to avoid a catastrophic incident. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said after visiting the Kursk nuclear power plant in Russia on Tuesday that there was a risk of a nuclear accident.