Russia may be preparing nuclear provocation attack

Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, said.

"Russia may be preparing a nuclear provocation. Their scenario of accusing us of terrorism and an attack on the Kursk NPP did not work, and now they are lying about a 'dirty bomb' and our possible provocation. This is evidence that Russia may be preparing a terrorist attack," Kovalenko wrote.

The Center for Countering Disinformation responded to publications that appeared in the Russian state propaganda agencies RIA-Novosti and TASS. The Russians are spreading claims that Ukraine is preparing to shell the Zaporizhzhia and Kursk nuclear power plants.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also denied the Russian propaganda reports.

"Ukraine has neither the intention nor the ability to carry out any such actions. Russia must stop spreading dangerous lies. Ukraine has always been and remains a committed member of the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons - ed.): we do not have any 'dirty bombs' and do not plan to acquire them. When the Russian Federation first spread this nonsense in 2022, we invited an IAEA mission, which completely refuted this lie. Nothing has changed since then," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi.

• Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has equated defeat in Ukraine with the destruction of Russia's statehood, which, according to the doctrine, allows him to use nuclear weapons.