Russia's Ex-President Warns 'Possible' Attacks On EU Nuclear Facilities

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last week warned that possible attacks on European nuclear power plants may also happen in what appeared to be a veiled threat against Ukraine's Western allies.

In a Telegram post published Friday, Medvedev accused the Ukrainian government and the West of having Russophobic views for blaming Moscow over recent attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. He then reminded European leaders that "incidents" can also happen to their nuclear plants.

"Rockets and shells are falling closer and closer to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant reactor and to the storage facilities for radioactive isotopes. They say it's Russia. This is an obvious, 100% nonsense even for the stupid Russophobic public," Medvedev wrote in the post.

"They say it happens purely by chance. Like they didn't want to. What can I say... We should not forget that the European Union also has nuclear power plants. And accidents are also possible there."

Medvedev, who served as Russia's president from 2008 to 2012 and the country's prime minister from 2012 to 2020, has made a number of anti-West and anti-Ukraine statements since Russia launched its invasion in February.

In early August, Medvedev appeared in an interview with state-owned news agency TASS where he claimed that Russia would achieve its aims to de-militarize and de-Nazify Ukraine on its own terms.

"Russia is conducting a special military operation in Ukraine and is attaining peace on our terms," he said in the interview, as translated by Reuters.

Medvedev's recent post comes as the Russian military continues to shell areas near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, including a location where radioactive materials are stored. The Ukrainian forces are now focusing their efforts on targeting Russian soldiers shooting at the power plant.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant first fell to Russian control in March, shortly after the invasion began on Feb. 24. The Russian military has kept Ukrainian power plant personnel to operate the facility.

Since taking over the plant, Ukraine said the Russian army has struck the complex five times. In contrast, Russian-appointed officials said Ukrainian forces targeted the plant twice. The hostilities around the station have led the U.N. to warn of a potential nuclear disaster in Europe.