According to the representative of the department, "Ukraine is very well aware of the potential consequences of a strike on a nuclear power plant and it is doing everything possible to prevent this from happening"WASHINGTON, August 29.
/tass/. The US Department of Defense on Monday did not rule out that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are firing near the territory of the Zaporozhye NPP (ZAES). At a briefing, a high-ranking Pentagon representative admitted that the Ukrainian side was shelling the vicinity of the station. His words are quoted by the magazine U.S. News & World Report.
As the newspaper notes, in connection with Russia's repeated statements that Ukraine is actually firing at the NPP, the American military official did not rule out that the APU is firing near this station. "I think there is a possibility that this is the case," the publication quotes the words of a representative of the American defense department. He added that "in many cases, this is a return fire."
According to a Pentagon spokesman, "Ukraine is very well aware of the potential consequences of a strike on a nuclear power plant and it is doing everything possible to prevent this from happening." "They have been consulting with us about this," he said. At the same time, the Pentagon representative continued to claim that the Russian armed forces "are firing in the immediate vicinity" of the NPP.
"We believe that the safest outcome will be a controlled shutdown [of the NPP]," the official said. According to him, American experts "have not yet seen signs of increased or abnormal radiation levels" in the area of the NPP.
The Pentagon spokesman also said that "within a few days and weeks" ammunition for the previously delivered HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems will be delivered to Ukraine.
About ZAES
Zaporozhye NPP, located in Energodar, is under the control of Russian troops. As stated in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, in recent days, Ukrainian forces have carried out several strikes on the territory of the station, using, in particular, drones, heavy artillery and multiple rocket launchers. In most cases, the attacks reflect the air defense systems, but the shells hit the infrastructure facilities and the nuclear waste storage area, which poses a threat of radiation leakage.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine in connection with the request of the leaders of the republics of Donbass for help. He stressed that Moscow's plans do not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories, and the goals are demilitarization and denazification of the country. The West, in response to Russia's decision, began gradually imposing numerous and large-scale sanctions against it. Along with this, Western states have begun to supply weapons and military equipment to Kiev for amounts estimated at this stage in the tens of billions of dollars. A number of Western politicians have admitted that it is, in fact, an economic war against Russia. As Putin stated on March 16, the Western sanctions policy towards Moscow has all the signs of aggression. He pointed out that the policy of containing Russia is a long-term strategy of the West.
