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Nebenzia: Russia Has No Intention to Blow Up NPP, Demands End to Kiev's Provocations

Sputnik News

20230629

UNITED NATIONS, June 29 (Sputnik) - Russia has no intention to blow up the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (NPP) as it explained in a letter calling on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to compel Kiev to abstain from provocations, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said.

"We do not intend to blow up this NPP, we have no intention of doing so. In our letter, we call on the UN Secretary-General and international community to influence Kiev, compelling it to abstain from provocations at this Zaporozhye NPP," Nebenzia said during a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday.

The Russian mission sent the letter to all of the UN Security Council members earlier in the day.

The Kiev regime continues with the provocations despite numerous UN Security Council meetings held at the request of Russia and despite the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency to facilitate safety and security at the nuclear power plant at the invitation of Russia, the letter said.

The provocations are taking place in the context of the United States' recent congressional resolution considering any radioactive contamination in Ukraine as a reason to launch a political-military response by NATO - a move that would escalate the Ukrainian crisis to unprecedented levels, the letter added.

The latest comes as Nebenzia told the Security Council that Ukrainians were being sent to the battlefield "like lambs to the slaughter" during Kiev's so-called 'counteroffensive.'

"But there are still some Ukrainians, which have been sent into battle like lambs to the slaughter as part of the so-called 'counteroffensive' of Ukrainian Armed Forces, which the Ukrainians call the Zaporozhye meat grinder," Nebenzia said on Thursday, adding that it is lamentable.

The official has also underscored that the collective West has become detached from reality and is purposely provoking a direct confrontation between the nuclear powers. "Having become completely untethered from reality, the West is deliberately provoking a direct confrontation between nuclear powers," he said.

Ukraine launched its much-touted counteroffensive in early June after multiple postponements. The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly said Ukrainian troops are trying to advance in the South Donetsk, Artemovsk, and Zaporozhye directions, but without success.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine lost as many as 259 tanks and 780 armored vehicles since the start of its counter-offensive. A number of Western media also noted the weak results of Kiev's counteroffensive, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that the progress was "slower than desired."

© Sputnik