Russia blames Ukraine for death of Zaporizhzhia NPP 'chief engineer': Kyiv rejects allegations
Photo: A Russian soldier near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (Getty Images)
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry rejected Russian accusations that Kyiv was involved in the death of collaborator Oleksandr Yakovlev, who served as the "chief engineer" at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, according to a statement from Ukraine's Foreign Ministry and Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom.
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom said that Oleksandr Yakovlev was killed near the industrial site of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). According to the occupation authorities, the vehicle carrying the collaborator was allegedly struck by a drone.
Rosatom's chief executive called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to provide a "prompt, concrete and clear response" to the incident. The IAEA said it had received information from Russia regarding Yakovlev's death.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry responds
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry rejected the Russian accusations, stressing that Moscow's claims are part of a deliberate information campaign.
"No independent confirmation of the Russian version of events or any evidence of Ukraine's involvement has been presented, while information disseminated by the Russian occupation authorities cannot be regarded as credible," the ministry said.
The ministry noted that Russia has systematically escalated tensions around the ZNPP and the city of Enerhodar, carried out attacks on personnel and civilian infrastructure, and sought to intimidate the international community with the threat of a nuclear incident while portraying Ukraine as the source of danger.
"At the same time, the Russian side continues to increase political pressure on the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), seeking to shift responsibility for the consequences of Russia's occupation onto Ukraine," the ministry said.
The Foreign Ministry added that the sole root cause of all threats to nuclear safety remains Russia's illegal seizure, militarization, and use of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant for military purposes.
What is known about Oleksandr Yakovlev
Before Russia's full-scale invasion, Yakovlev worked at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as an employee of Ukraine's state-owned nuclear energy company. After the plant was occupied, he collaborated with Russian forces and assisted the occupation administration.
He was added to the Myrotvorets database for facilitating the operation of the seized ZNPP and for directly participating in Russia's nuclear blackmail campaign against Ukraine.
Russian forces have turned the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant into a military base. They have established weapons storage facilities on the site and use it to launch attack drones.
Key power transmission lines and several other energy infrastructure facilities at the ZNPP were recently repaired. Despite this, restarting the plant remains impossible due to damage to a critical substation.
