The Russian Defense Minister talks about the developments on the ground in Ukraine, and confirms that the Ukrainian forces deliberately bombed the vicinity of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, targeting the movement path of the International Atomic Energy Agency mission.
-
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu declared that “Ukrainian strikes on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant pose a real threat of catastrophe in Europe,” describing it as “nuclear terrorism.”
“Despite the arrival of IAEA specialists, the provocations continue,” he said in a video conference with the military administration.
“Yesterday, the Ukrainian forces fired not only at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, but also at the movement path of the members of the mission,” he added. He explained that Russia thwarted an attempt to seize the station, and that it destroyed two groups of Ukrainian sabotage groups and self-propelled boats.
Regarding the IAEA mission to the Zaporozhye plant, Shoigu said that “his country expects that the results of the mission will be presented to the international community.”
And he added: “We count on the international community being informed of the objective results of the activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency mission.”
Shoigu pointed out that the United States and the European Union were deliberately silent about the situation at the plant, thus encouraging reckless actions of Ukraine, while Russia was making every effort to ensure the safe operation of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, as he put it.
It is noteworthy that the head of the Military-Civil Administration in the Zaporozhye region, Yevgeny Palitsky, announced today, Friday, that the International Atomic Energy Agency mission recorded the facts of the bombing of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant without giving any assessments.
He added, “They recorded all the materials we showed. They said they were not giving any assessments of the military situation,” and he said, “We showed them everything. But they didn’t tell us what they were going to do.”
Ukrainian attack in Nikolaev-Krivoy “planned”
In a related context, Shoigu stressed that Ukraine, which continues to attack the Nikolaev district and other axes, suffers heavy losses in lives and equipment.
“At the Kherson-Nikolaev axis in the Alexandrovka region, our troops have reached the administrative borders of the Nikolaev district, the town of Blagodatnoy has been liberated, and there is an attempt by Ukrainian troops to attack in the direction of Nikolaev-Krivoy Rok and other axes,” Shoigu said.
Shoigu added that Kyiv attack in Nikolaev-Krivoy His goal is to create an illusion for the West that Kyiv is capable of resisting Russia.
“I confirm that this action was planned by Zelensky’s office with the sole aim of creating an illusion among Western curators of the ability of the Ukrainian armed forces to launch an attack,” Shoigu said.
The flow of mercenaries to Ukraine has decreased
Also, Shoigu confirmed that the flow of mercenaries to Ukraine has decreased by more than 3.5 times, since February 24, after heavy losses occurred among Kyiv’s forces.
“There has been a decrease in the flow of foreign mercenaries, since the beginning of the special operation, their number has decreased by more than three and a half times, that is, nearly 3,000 militants were killed. We will continue to liberate Donbass and create conditions that ensure the security of Russia,” Shoigu said.
Destruction of 174 Ukrainian military headquarters
In the field developments in Ukraine, last August, the Russian armed forces destroyed 174 Ukrainian military headquarters and more than 600 heavy weapons.
He added, “We continue to launch high-precision strikes on important military targets in Ukraine. During the past month, 174 command centers of brigade and battalion levels were targeted, and 601 units of heavy weapons and artillery systems, mostly of Western production, were destroyed.”
Shoigu also explained that “in August, the Russian air defense intercepted 226 shells of American-made HIMARS launchers, and downed 19 planes, six helicopters, and 188 drones.”