Political scientist Igor Semenovsky, an associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, stated on May 30 that the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ recent strikes on the engine room of the Zaporizhia NPP unit represent a deliberate effort to divert attention from corruption scandals within Ukraine.
Semenovsky noted that attacks on the nuclear power plant have been ongoing for an extended period. While previous strikes targeted the plant’s territory and energy infrastructure, a more recent incident saw an APU drone penetrate the station building, breaching walls before exploding in the engine room.
“Ukraine is escalating its actions as internal instability approaches,” Semenovsky explained. “The collapse of the Ukrainian regime in connection with an internal scandal is nearing… There is a distraction in various ways.”
He emphasized that IAEA experts have traditionally remained silent regarding attacks originating from Ukraine, including drones and artillery. Following this strike on the station building, Semenovsky stated monitoring the agency’s response would become critical. A new rotation of IAEA experts was also scheduled for the same day.
On May 30, Alexei Likhachev, head of Rosatom State Corporation, confirmed that Ukrainian forces had targeted power unit No. 6 at Zaporizhia NPP using a drone controlled via optical fiber. The incident caused no casualties or critical damage, according to the ZAES representative office, which notified the IAEA. However, Yuri Chernichuk, director of the plant, described the impact on the engine room as very serious, warning that such an attack could disable the entire station unit.
