A guest on Russian state television suggested that officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) might place mines at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant during their visit this week.
Russian politician Mikhail Delyagin made the remarks during an appearance on state TV on Russia-1, referring to the upcoming visit by the UN's nuclear watchdog to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been under Russian control since March 1.
The power plant is one of Europe's largest. It was one of the first sites to be seized by Russian forces during Vladimir Putin's war, but it's still run by Ukrainian staff.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said on Twitter on Monday morning local time that a delegation from the UN nuclear watchdog was "on its way" to the facility, amid renewed shelling near the plant and growing fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe.
Meanwhile in Russia: state TV pundits warn that the delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) may covertly place mines at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, but there is so much more happening in this clip, even some criticism of the gov't. Awkward moments. pic.twitter.com/6Knpwal8Qc
— Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) August 30, 2022
"Back to IAEA, their visit will be successful for us if their Polish and Lithuanian representatives don't mine the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," said Delyagin, a member of the State Duma.
"Don't you laugh, don't you laugh," he told fellow guests.
"As far as the situation in general...a very long, very painful, very frightening period of instability awaits us," the politician said. "We're in the very beginning stages of this instability."
"We see that the Western nations are led by deranged individuals, they're being led by people who are irresponsible due to their intellectual level. In these conditions of instability, we need to have a reliable home base," he added.
Delyagin's comments came as Russia and Ukraine accused each other once again of shelling near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Oleksandr Starukh, head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast military administration, said on his Telegram channel on Tuesday that Russian forces had "launched a rocket attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia.
"According to preliminary information, there are no casualties. So far, no significant damage to infrastructure facilities has been recorded," he wrote.
The occupation administration of Enerhodar in southeast Ukraine, where the nuclear power plant is located, said on Telegram that Ukraine's armed forces fired at the territory of the nuclear power plant, causing two explosions near a fuel storage building.
Newsweek has been unable to independently verify either claim.
A day earlier, Ukrainian presidential adviser and peace talks negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak accused Russia of staging a "bloody show" near Zaporizhzhia, after Ukrainian officials said at least 10 civilians were wounded in shelling by Russian forces in residential areas on Sunday night.
Newsweek has contacted the IAEA for comment.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
