Ukraine warns that Russian army may stage provocation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant “in near future”

This was reported by the Centre for Strategic Communications (Stratcom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"The Armed Forces of Ukraine officially inform about the possible preparation of a provocation in the near future on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, occupied by Russian terrorists since March 4, 2022," the statement said.

Military noted that on Tuesday, foreign objects similar to explosive devices were placed on the outer roof of the third and fourth power units of ZNPP.

Stratcom explains that their detonation should not damage the power units, but can create a picture of shelling from Ukraine. This is what the Russian media and Telegram channels are already spreading disinformation about.

"The Armed Forces of Ukraine do not violate international humanitarian law, monitor and control the situation and are ready to act under any circumstances," the statement said.

Russia accuses Ukraine of preparing a terrorist attack at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant on the night of 5 July

On Tuesday, 4 July, Renat Karchaa, an adviser to the director of Rosenergoatom, said that Ukraine was going to attack Zaporizhzhia NPP with high-precision weapons and ‘kamikaze’ drones on the night of 5 July.

He claims that Ukraine also intends to strike the plant with a Tochka-U missile with a warhead filled with radioactive waste.

Situation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

Russian forces occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP in late February 2022. Since then, there has been a constant presence of personnel and military equipment, which the invading Russian troops store in machine rooms and occasionally deploy to positions for shelling the territories of the Nikopol district in the Dnipropetrovsk region, located on the other side of the Kakhovka Reservoir.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has a monitoring mission at the station, which is supposed to ensure that the nuclear power plant is not used as a military base, that it is not attacked, and that no fire is initiated from the NPP. Power outages at the nuclear power plant occur regularly though. Occupiers began importing explosives to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant last year.

In May 2023 information emerged that the Russian forces had placed explosives in the turbine room of the ZNPP’s fourth power unit. Additionally, the invading Russian forces have nearly completely destroyed the emergency readiness and response system at the nuclear power plant.

On June 22, the Director-General of the IAEA, after visiting ZNPP Grossi, stated that the situation at the plant is extremely unstable. On the same day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that intelligence had received information that Russia was considering a scenario for a terrorist act at the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which would cause a radiation release.

The Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, stated that Russia has completed preparations for a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

On June 29, large-scale exercises were held in four regions of Ukraine to prepare for a possible terrorist attack on the ZNPP.

On June 30, the Main Intelligence Directorate reported that the occupying Russian forces were gradually leaving the ZNPP, and that Ukrainian employees who had signed a contract with Rosatom also received evacuation recommendations. In addition, the plant's staff received an order to blame Ukraine in any emergency situation.

In his turn, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said that the Ukrainian counteroffensive and the process of Ukraine regaining control over ZNPP would continue even despite Russian nuclear blackmail.

On 2 July, the mayor of the temporarily occupied Enerhodar, Dmytro Orlov, said that some Rosatom employees and collaborators who had signed a contract with the company had left ZNPP.