Zelensky: Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant mined and this is a fact

"The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is mined, this is a fact. The IAEA confirms that the Zaporizhzhia NPP is mined, they just say that a reactor is not mined. This was the last information they had. But this is confirmation that the plant is mined. There is definite confirmation from our intelligence that there are mines there. And there is accurate information that about 500 militants stay there," President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky told Spanish journalists in an interview, Ukrinform reports.

According to him, the IAEA does not know the exact number of militants at the ZNPP but confirms their presence. And when there are weapons and mines at the nuclear power plant, it is dangerous, the President emphasized.

He noted that the dangerous situation at the plant is also evidenced by the information about the plans of the Russian Federation to "release emission". "And this is very important. This is done so that ... the conflict is frozen, so that we do not de-occupy our territory," the Head of State said.

According to him, the frozen conflict is the main strategic idea of the Russian Federation since it needs time to strengthen its army with weapons, people, "so that later they come again and wipe us off the face of the earth."

According to Zelensky, the aggressors need the emission at the Zaporizhzhia NPP in order to show: these are the consequences of war. "They understand that we don't shoot at the plant, so they can't just make emission artificially. They are looking for a format and a moment. Therefore, it is very dangerous. We are talking about it out loud again, just as we talked about the blowing up of the Kakhovka dam a year ago," the President stressed.

He added: "We have a situation with inadequate people who cannot fully control even all the processes not only in the temporarily occupied territories but also in their [territory]. The latest march of the Wagner fighters through the territory of the Russian Federation shows that they do not control the processes inside their country."

As reported, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine stated that the Russian contingent is gradually leaving the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

On March 4, 2022, the Russians occupied the ZNPP. On June 22, 2023, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Russia's plans to carry out a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said that Ukraine is carefully preparing for any scenario of developments around the Zaporizhzhia NPP.