CCD: Russia is trying to shift the blame for the danger at ZNPP

Russia has intensified propaganda regarding the Zaporizhzhya NPP following the IAEA’s statement on critical nuclear safety violations at the plant. The Kremlin is attempting to shift responsibility for the dangerous situation onto Ukraine.

This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation.

On Monday, September 8, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reported that 6 out of 7 key pillars of nuclear safety have been violated at the occupied Zaporizhzhya NPP.

He emphasized that the plant is operating on only one external power line, all reactors are in a cold shutdown state, and the water level in the cooling pool is approaching a critical level.

Notably, for three days, Russian propaganda completely ignored this statement. It was only after the speech of Russia’s permanent representative to international organizations, Mikhail Ulyanov, that a wave of media reports emerged.

"This shows that Kremlin resources were waiting for the official ’Moscow line’ and did not know how to react—since it is Russia that controls the Zaporizhzhya NPP and bears full responsibility for its safety," the Center noted.

In his statement, Ulyanov resorted to a series of manipulations:

• declared the Zaporizhzhya NPP as "Russian territory,"
• downplayed the role of the IAEA mission,
• accused Ukraine of shelling and "pressuring the staff,"
• questioned the universality of the 7 pillars of nuclear safety.

"Thus, the Russian side is trying to absolve itself of responsibility for the dangerous situation at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, shifting the blame onto Ukraine while simultaneously attacking the authority of the IAEA," the Center concluded.