Claim
Russia's nuclear energy head said Ukraine attacked fuel trucks near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
Attributed to Russia's nuclear energy head
Evidence
Multiple independent outlets reported this statement directly, including a Reuters wire story dated September 13 ("Russian nuclear head says Ukraine attacked fuel trucks, endangered Zaporizhzhia plant"), syndicated via Yahoo News and Lufkin Daily News, as well as The Moscow Times and Russian state outlet RT/Rosatom press statements. All confirm that Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev issued a statement saying Ukrainian forces carried out "a series of combined strikes" on Friday against diesel fuel trucks supplying the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, killing two Russian servicemen and wounding others. I could not find an independent, on-the-ground verification (e.g., from the IAEA, Bellingcat, or a neutral fact-checking body) confirming that the strike actually occurred as described, nor did I find a Ukrainian government denial or counter-statement in the sources retrieved. I attempted further searches for IAEA or Ukrainian responses but search access was rate-limited before I could complete them.
Assessment
The claim only asserts that Russia's nuclear chief made this statement, and that is directly corroborated by a Reuters report and several other outlets carrying the same statement; however, the underlying accusation against Ukraine itself remains an unverified, one-sided Russian claim with no independent confirmation found.
Confidence
Some independent corroboration was found, but it isn't yet conclusive.
Timeline
Sep 13, 2026, 9:41 AM UTC
ConfirmedInitial assessment.
First observed Sep 13, 2026, 9:41 AM UTC · Last reviewed Sep 13, 2026, 9:41 AM UTC