MOSCOW. July 5 (Interfax) - There is no basis for the Ukrainian president's statements regarding the presence of explosives on the roofs of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP)'s units, advisor to the Rosenergoatom head Renat Karchaa told Interfax.
"Mr. Zelensky is lying absolutely shamelessly," Karchaa said. "Of course, there is no basis whatsoever for such statements," he said.
By making such statements, the Ukrainian leadership is seeking to destabilize the situation at and around the ZNPP, he said.
"Why would we need explosives there? This is nonsense just for maintaining tension around the ZNPP. Our priority is nuclear safety. Planting mines on the roofs of power units, on the contrary, poses a threat, which we can't allow ourselves. Someone should remain sensible in this madhouse," he said.
The Zaporozhye NPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, operates six VVER-1000 power units. The plant has not produced electricity since September 11, 2022. Two of its power units are undergoing maintenance, three are in a cold shutdown, and one (Unit 5) in a hot shutdown to provide for the Zaporozhye NPP's own needs.
The NPP's facilities have been transferred to Russian ownership, and the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant Federal State Unitary Enterprise was established. The operator is the Operating Organization of the Zaporozhye NPP, which was established by Rosenergoatom, part of Rosatom state corporation.
Several IAEA experts have been deployed at the NPP on a rotating basis since September 1, 2022.