MELITOPOL, November 5. /TASS/. Ukrainian attempts to capture the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) have resulted in significant losses among Ukrainian troops and the unnecessary sacrifice of mobilized personnel, said the governor of the Zaporozhye region, Evgeny Balitsky.

“Attempts to capture the so-called NPP Zaporozhye do not let Western military commanders sleep at night, which leads to colossal losses of the enemy and the unnecessary sacrifice of mobilized Ukrainians,” said Balitsky.

He added that the safety of the ZNPP and its perimeter is reliably ensured by the Russian military and that “the plant’s personnel are performing their duties.” Radiation levels at the plant are normal, he noted.

Earlier, ZNPP spokesperson Yevgenia Yashina told TASS that “such reckless behavior of the Kiev regime” poses a threat not only to the plant itself, but also to the development of the global nuclear industry. She emphasized that the protection of the ZNPP is adequate, and both plant personnel and the Russian Armed Forces are doing everything in their power to ensure its safety. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors at the site have been fully briefed, she added. Yashina also reported that all six reactors at the plant remain in a “cold shutdown” state and no violations of safety protocols have been observed.

Earlier, Russian Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection (NBC) troops commander Igor Kirillov said that Russian forces had foiled an attempt to capture the ZNPP in an operation called “Short Circuit”. The Ukrainian regime launched this attempt after its plan to capture the Kursk nuclear power plant failed. Ukrainian special operations forces were supposed to take over ZNPP with the support of ten multiple missile launch systems and six drones. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the operation was planned for October 11 and 12. On October 12, Ukrainian forces were supposed to cross the Dnieper River and take control of the power plant, but the plan was thwarted by preemptive actions by Russia.

Kirillov also noted that Ukrainian forces made similar attempts in 2022, when units of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, supported by foreign mercenaries, tried to cross the Kakhovka reservoir to establish a foothold for a later capture attempt of ZNPP.