Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has warned that Russia is making plans to simulate a relocation of the main fate at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under the control of Russian forces, in a bid to thwart Ukraine’s expected counteroffensive to regain its captured territory through Moscow.
The Zaporizhzhia plant, located in a domain of occupied southern Ukraine through Russia, is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and the domain has been continuously hit by bombing, with both sides blaming the other for damaging attacks.
Before Ukraine’s expected counteroffensive, fears grew that a nuclear crisis could spread amid developing military activity around Zaporizhzhia.
“The Russians are preparing a major provocation and imitation of the twist of fate at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the coming hours,” the Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Friday.
“They plan to attack the territory of the ZNPP [Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant]. After that, they will announce the leak of radioactive substances,” the intelligence directorate said in a statement and later on social media.
Reports of leaks of radioactive curtains from the plant would provoke a global incident and force an investigation through foreign authorities, which would prevent all hostilities, the control said. Russia would then use the pause in fighting to regroup its forces and better prepare to prevent the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the intelligence service said.
“They will blame Ukraine,” the leadership said, adding that the aim of the attack would be to “provoke the foreign community” to investigate the incident and force a pause in the fighting.
– Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine) May 26, 2023
Experts say reports of a radiation leak at the plant will be followed up by rapid evacuations, which can be incredibly complex in a war zone. According to experts, for many people, the worry of becoming infected through radiation can also be more harmful than radiation itself.
Last week, witnesses said the Russian armed forces were reinforcing defensive positions in and around the nuclear power plant ahead of Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive.
In preparation for the planned radioactive incident, Russia halted the planned rotation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors, who are at the plant, Ukraine’s intelligence directorate said.
The report of a planned incident in Zaporizhzhia was repeated in a tweet by Ukraine’s representative to the United Nations in New York, Sergiy Kyslytsya, who said events could be extended “in the coming hours. “
– Sergiy Kyslytsya ?? (@SergiyKyslytsya) May 26, 2023
The control provided no evidence to back up its claims, and the Vienna-based IAEA, which provides regular updates on the scenario at the plant, did not mention any disruption in its program.
Kiev and Moscow have continually accused others of attacking the plant.
In February, Russia said Ukraine planned to level a nuclear incident on its territory and blame Moscow.
Moscow has also continuously accused Kiev of planning false flag operations with unconventional weapons, biological or radioactive materials.
None have taken a position so far.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi will brief the UN Security Council next week on the security scenario in Zaporizhzhia and his safeguards plan at the site. Grossi, who last visited the plant in March, has stepped up efforts to reach a deal with Ukraine and Russia. to make sure the plant covers the fighting.
In a week past, Grossi said, “It’s very simple: don’t shoot at the factory and don’t use the factory as an army base. “
“It deserves to be in everyone’s interest to agree on a set of principles to protect the factory from conflict,” he added.
Zaporizhzhia once provided about 20% of Ukraine’s electricity and continued to operate in the first months of the Russian invasion, despite common bombings, before shutting down electricity production completely in September.
None of Ukraine’s six Soviet-era reactors have produced electrical power since, however, the Zaporizhzhia facility remains connected to the Ukrainian power grid for its own needs, in addition to cooling the plant’s nuclear reactors.