Russia Accuses Ukraine of Striking Fuel Trucks Near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, Two Servicemen Killed

On Sunday, Alexei Likhachev, the leader of Russia's state nuclear energy corporation, reported that Ukrainian forces targeted diesel fuel trucks near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under Russian control. He stated that these attacks took place on Friday, resulting in the deaths of two Russian servicemen and injuring numerous others, some of whom sustained serious injuries. Likhachev characterized the incidents as "a series of combined strikes" occurring very close to the plant's perimeter. He claimed the personnel involved were engaged in a civilian mission to deliver diesel. The Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest in Europe with six reactors, was captured by Russian forces in the early stages of the Ukraine conflict that began in February 2022. Both parties have consistently accused one another of actions that threaten the plant's safety and raise the risk of a nuclear disaster, with Likhachev specifically alleging that Ukraine is intentionally endangering the facility's security.