
Russia rejects calls to return Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on March 25 that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is a Russian facility and cannot be transferred to Ukraine or any other country.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on March 25 that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is a Russian facility and cannot be transferred to Ukraine or any other country.
"Some people are saying the United States should own the power plant...because we have the expertise," Donald Trump said.
"Water supply, technical staff, and many more steps to ensure that in a year and a half to two and a half, the plant starts to bring money and electricity to people. This is my vision," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Editor's note: This story was updated on March 26 after Russia falsely claimed the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to be a Russian facility. The White House on March 19 proposed Ukraine pass its nuclear facilities to the U.S. as part of the ongoing ceasefire talks. "The United States could
Previously, U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio said that Ukraine-U.S. talks included discussions about potential "territorial concessions" as part of a negotiated settlement with Russia.
Key developments on March 13: * 'Russia needs war,' Zelensky says in response to Putin's preconditions for ceasefire * Russia claims to retake Sudzha; Ukraine hasn't confirmed * Ukrainian drones strike covert UAV plant in western Russia, sources claim * Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant part of peace talks, Trump says Russian President Vladimir
"We have been discussing with Ukraine land and pieces of land that would be kept and lost and all of the other elements of a final agreement," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
The statement came hours after Russian occupation authorities claimed that a rotation of IAEA personnel had taken place through Russian-controlled territory.
A new team from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on March 1, marking the first time the agency's monitors reached the site through Russian-occupied territory.
The specter of nuclear war cast a long shadow over the 20th century, serving as a reminder of humanity's capacity for self-destruction. Now, as the world seems to shrug off Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling against Ukraine — and by extension, all of humanity — a haunting question calls for an answer: Have
The appeal comes as IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi visits Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian officials before heading to Moscow to discuss the situation with Russian authorities.
Russian forces have occupied the Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest nuclear station in Europe, since March 2022, and have been using the site in ways that increase the risk of a nuclear disaster.
On Dec. 10, a Russian drone struck and severely damaged an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) service vehicle on its way to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), President Volodymyr Zelensky reported.
Key developments on Nov. 21: * Russia used new 'Oreshnik' intermediate-range ballistic missile against Ukraine, Putin says * Ukrainian UAVs reportedly strike Russian border regions, industrial facility hit * Hungary deploys air defenses near Ukraine, cites war escalation after US allows strikes in Russia * Russian troops suspected of executing Ukrainian POWs in Kursk
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is on the verge of a blackout after Russian shelling of power lines left the plant connected to only one line, the Energy Ministry reported on Nov 21.
IAEA experts may only remain at the occupied nuclear facility "as long as our country considers their stay there to be justified," Russia's Foreign Ministry warned.
The National Police confirmed that Russian forces carried out three air strikes on Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine using unguided high-explosive bombs.
Andrii Korotkyi was a collaborator involved in the organization and execution of war crimes and repression of Ukrainians under Russian occupation, the agency said.
Ukraine is in talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to place foreign observers near its nuclear power plants amid reports Russia is planning to attack the infrastructure connecting the plants to the country's energy grid, an Energy Ministry official said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky told the U.N. Security Council on Sept. 24 that Russia was preparing to target three Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
The possible targets include open distribution devices at nuclear power plants and transmission substations, "which are essential for the safe functioning of the nuclear energy system," according to Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
The facility is housing Russia's National Guard units totaling up to 1,300 people, the center said, citing data from Ukrainian citizens on the ground.
A cooling tower at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) will require demolition after a fire on Aug. 12 rendered the structure unusable, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said during a visit to the plant.
Key developments on Sept. 3: * Russia strikes Poltava with ballistic missiles, killing at least 51, injuring 271 * Ukraine plans to 'indefinitely' hold Kursk Oblast's seized territories, Zelensky says * Russian strikes damage overhead power line at occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Energoatom says * Norway pledges $53 million for drones, air defense
Damage to another overhead power line will lead to an emergency at the plant, according to the state nuclear energy company.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear plant in Europe, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. Throughout its occupation, the plant has been repeatedly disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid due to Russian attacks on the country's energy infrastructure.
"Nuclear power plants are designed to be resilient against technical or human failures and external events including extreme ones, but they are not built to withstand a direct military attack."
"We officially refute these false reports. Ukraine has neither the intention nor the ability to carry out any such actions. Russia must stop spreading dangerous lies," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Aug. 12 that it had been unable to determine the cause of the fire at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) that was started a day earlier.
In a Telegram message at 7:30 a.m. local time, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak said the fire at the plant had been put out and that radiation levels in the area were normal.
Russian forces set fire to "a large number of automobile tires in cooling towers," Yevhen Yevtushenko, the head of the military administration in Nikopol, said on Aug. 11, citing sources across the river in occupied Enerhodar.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has raised concerns that intense fires near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which is under Russian occupation, pose a threat to its external power supply.