The Kremlin on Wednesday warned of the possibility of Ukrainian troops unleashing a “subversive act” with “catastrophic consequences” at the Russian-controlled Zaporijia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.
“The situation is very tense because the risk of a subversive act by the Kiev regime is very high. A subversive act that could have catastrophic consequences,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of provocations over the possibility of one of the two armies attacking the nuclear power plant, one of the largest in Europe.
“We must take all measures to combat this threat,” he added, accusing Kyiv of demonstrating on “numerous occasions” that it is “prepared for anything.”
The day before, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, in a telephone conversation that the Russians were “preparing dangerous provocations” at the factory.
At the same time, the Ukrainian army said on Tuesday that “objects similar to explosives” had been placed on the outer roof of reactors 3 and 4 and that their detonation should “create the impression of bombing on the Ukrainian side”.
In recent weeks, Kiev and Moscow have accused each other of endangering the safety of the factory, while the Ukrainian army has launched a counter-offensive in this region of Ukraine.
After falling into the hands of the Russian army on March 4, 2022, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant was shelled several times and cut off from the power grid.
According to Kiev, Russia has placed troops and weapons in its installations.
The destruction in May of the Kakhovka dam, located in the Russian-occupied south, raised concerns about the sustainability of the reservoir used to cool the plant’s six reactors.
However, Russia on Wednesday again denied Ukraine’s accusations that it planted explosives on the roof and insisted that Kiev is planning “sabotage” at the nuclear facility.
“Why should we have explosives there? It is nonsense to keep the tension around the plant,” said Renat Karchaa, an adviser to Rosenergoatom, the Russian operator of the nuclear plant.
According to Karchaa, quoted by Interfax, Zelensky is lying “through his teeth” when he claims otherwise.
“The destruction of the ceiling of the units [de energia] it’s a threat, we can’t afford that. Someone in this chaos has to stay sane,” Karchaa said.
“The blast should not damage the generators, but it will serve to give the impression of bombing on the Ukrainian side,” the army said, warning that Moscow “will use disinformation on this issue”.
After falling into the hands of the Moscow army on March 4, 2022, shortly after the start of the Russian invasion on February 24 last year, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant was the target of several attacks, the authorship of which both sides deny. , and the electricity grid was cut off several times.
According to Kiev, Russia has placed troops and weapons on its property.
On June 22, Zelensky accused Russia of planning a “terrorist attack” involving a radiation leak at the Zaporijia factory, a charge that was immediately dismissed and described as a lie by the Kremlin.
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, launched on February 24 last year, plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
Source: DN
