Russia Accuses Ukraine of Deadly Strike on Fuel Trucks Near Zaporizhzhia Plant

The head of Russia's state nuclear energy corporation has accused Ukrainian forces of carrying out a series of combined strikes on diesel fuel trucks serving the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, saying the attack killed two Russian servicemen and injured several others.

Alexei Likhachev said the strikes took place on Friday and occurred very close to the perimeter of the station's site. In a statement, he said a large number of Russian soldiers were wounded, some seriously, and described them as personnel involved in supporting what he called a purely civilian mission.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest with six reactors, was seized by Russian forces in the early weeks of the war that began in February 2022. Both sides have repeatedly accused each other of actions that endanger safety at the facility and raise the risk of a nuclear accident.

Diesel fuel is critical to the plant's safety systems. Generators powered by diesel keep nuclear fuel in the reactors cool when the station's two external power links are down. According to the account, both links were down for nearly three weeks in August and September.

The plant currently generates no electricity. Ukraine has demanded that Russia withdraw from the station and return its operation to Kyiv, a demand Moscow has rejected.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, maintains a permanent observer team at the Zaporizhzhia plant as well as at Ukraine's three other working nuclear stations. The agency has repeatedly served as an intermediary in disputes and last month helped arrange a local ceasefire to allow repairs and the restoration of external power links.