In a statement provided to Ukrainska Pravda, a spokesperson for Ukraine's military intelligence agency said Ukraine was not involved in the explosion of a drone at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) on April 7.
"Ukraine is not involved in any armed provocations on the territory of the illegally occupied nuclear plant," the spokesperson Andrii Yusov said, adding that Russian false flag strikes were a frequent occurrence.
"The aggressor state once again endangers the nuclear facility," Yusov said. "Russian strikes, in particular false flag strikes, on the territory of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant, as well as the deployment of troops and weapons there and mining of ZNPP facilities, have long been a well-known and constant criminal practice."
"Russia should withdraw troops from all ZNPP facilities, only this will allow to restore compliance with all necessary international norms and control over an important nuclear energy facility."
Earlier in the day, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that a drone detonated on its site, according to the IAEA. The IAEA did not specify who had launched the drone.
A detonation is consistent with IAEA observations, the IAEA wrote in its post on X.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear plant in Europe, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
