Russia Rejects UN Demilitarization Idea, Ministry Of Defense Threatens To Close Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons/Ralf1969)

JAKARTA - Russia's Foreign Ministry on Thursday rejected UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' proposal to demilitarize the area around the Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Ukraine.

Europe's largest nuclear power plant was occupied by Russia in March, shortly after President Vladimir Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine, in a so-called special military operation.

UN Secretary-General Guterres, who is currently on a visit to Ukraine, earlier this month called for the withdrawal of military personnel and equipment from the nuclear power plant, calling for "demilitarized" safe borders.

Regarding this, Ivan Nechayev, spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said the proposal was unacceptable to Moscow.

He accused Kyiv of organizing what he called provocations, of not being able to control nationalist armed groups.

"That is the reason why the proposal (on demilitarization) is unacceptable," Nechayev said.

"Implementing it will make power plants more vulnerable," he said.

Russia said it would deploy several troops at the plant to ensure its smooth operation and safety.

Nechayev said a visit to the nuclear power plant by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) could be carried out in the near future, so that experts can determine for themselves who fired it.

Separately, Russia's Defense Ministry said the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant could be shut down if Ukrainian forces continued to shell the facility, something Kyiv has denied.

In a briefing, Igor Kirillov, head of Russia's radioactive, chemical and biological defense forces, said the plant's backup support system had been damaged by the shelling.

Kirillov explained, if there was an accident at the plant, the radioactive material would reach Germany, Poland and Slovakia.

Kyiv accused Russia of using the plant as a shield used to shoot down Ukrainian targets. Russia is also said to have fired on the plant. Instead, Moscow says it was Ukraine that opened fire on the facility.