Russia threatens 'nuclear apocalypse' after ‘assassination’ of chief atomic engineer

Russia has issued warnings of “nuclear apocalypse” following the alleged Ukrainian assassination of a senior engineer at the Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant.

Alexander Yakovlev, 46, was killed in a drone strike between the facility and the nearby town of Enerhodar. He was traveling in a service vehicle and perished alongside his driver, according to Russian reports.

Yakovlev served as the chief engineer at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility. Ukraine’s Mirotvorets website had designated him as a “traitor to the motherland” and an “accomplice to terrorists and Russian occupiers.”

By continuing to work for the Russians following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, he faced accusations of “collaboration in the form of assisting the occupiers in committing acts of nuclear terrorism and blackmail”.

Following the occupation of this section of Zaporizhzhia region, he obtained a Russian passport.

Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, condemned the incident without specifically mentioning Ukraine or Russia.

The killing “represents an unacceptable attack on the plant and its management, seriously threatening nuclear safety.” He urged an “immediate end” to all attacks “on or near nuclear sites.”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: “This is a crime of the Kyiv regime that Grossi must finally see – we demand a clear statement condemning this killing from the relevant international bodies, first and foremost the IAEA.”

Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev stated: “We expect the IAEA to respond promptly, concretely, and clearly to this tragedy.”

Russian troops captured the facility in southeastern Ukraine during the initial weeks of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Staunchly pro-Putin MP Mikhail Sheremet, who represents illegally occupied Crimea, claimed that Volodymyr Zelensky’s “terrorist regime” was “so clearly striving to plunge the world into a nuclear apocalypse”.

He claimed: “I have no doubt that this terrorist attack was coordinated with the leadership of a number of NATO countries, which makes them direct accomplices in the crime.”

Russian officials launched a criminal investigation into the deaths. Ukraine did not immediately respond.