About 600 Ukrainian special forces soldiers launched the attack from the north bank of the Dnieper River and attempted to cross the water to reach the ZNPP. As the attack was launched, HIMARS rockets provided by the US hit Russian positions on the southern bank of the river near the power plant.

The dangerous assault on the ZNPP, which is Europe’s largest power plant, failed as the bulk of the Ukrainian soldiers could not cross the river due to Russian fire. A small group of soldiers made it across and engaged in an hours-long firefight on the outskirts of Enerhodar, the town where the plant is located.

The raid took place on October 19, and Russian media at the time quoted Russian military officials who said an attack on the ZNPP was thwarted. Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said the assault involved “37 boats and craft with Ukrainian troops to land the assault force, including 12 heavy and 25 light vessels.”

“It is very, very important that we agree on the fundamental principle that a nuclear power plant should not be attacked under any circumstances,” he said. “It shouldn’t be used to attack others, likewise. A nuclear accident with radiological consequences will spare no one.”

The US Supported a Failed Ukrainian Attack on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – News From Antiwar.com