Ukraine, Russia trade accusations of imminent attack on nuclear plant

Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of planning to attack one of the world’s largest nuclear power plants, which is located in southeastern Ukraine and occupied by Russian troops, but neither side provides evidence to support their claims.

Citing intelligence reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russian troops have placed “objects resembling explosives on the roof of several power units” of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The objects could be used to “simulate” an attack, he says, meaning a false flag attack.

A statement from the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces says the “foreign objects” were placed on the outer roof of the plant’s third and fourth power units. “Their detonation should not damage power units but may create a picture of shelling from Ukraine,” the statement says.

In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov raises the specter of a potentially “catastrophic” provocation by the Ukrainian army at the nuclear plant, which is Europe’s largest but has its six reactors shut down.

“The situation is quite tense. There is a great threat of sabotage by the Kyiv regime, which can be catastrophic in its consequences,” Peskov says in response to a reporter’s question. He also claims that the Kremlin is taking “all measures to counter the alleged Ukrainian threat.”