Russian forces 'extremely irresponsible' regarding Ukrainian nuke plants: former defense official

It was "sheer luck" the attack didn't cause a radioactive crisis, said former U.S. Under Secretary for Defense Michèle Flournoy.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station, Ukraine, July 10, 2009

By Susan Katz Keating

Russian troops were “extremely irresponsible” when they violently seized control of nuclear plants in Ukraine, a former high ranking U.S. defense official said.

“My primary concern is the way they went about this, which was incredibly irresponsible, shelling a nuclear power plant,” former U.S. Under Secretary for Defense Michèle Flournoy said on Sunday. She made her remarks while appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Flournoy made her remarks during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” where she discussed Russian actions against the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility in Ukraine.

"It was just by sheer luck that they didn't actually breach the containment structure and create a radioactive release," Flournoy said. "So they're being extremely irresponsible about this."

Flournoy, who served in the Obama administration, said Russian officials aim to "take control of critical infrastructure, the energy, the gas for heating, water, food, to, again, put the Ukrainian population under siege and try to break their will."

A senior defense official on Friday said that the U.S. is "deeply concerned" about Russia’s near-term “intentions” after Russian troops seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.