KYIV – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine has raised concerns about an alleged plot by Russia to launch an attack on Europe’s largest nuclear plant, the Zaporizhzhia facility. However, the Kremlin has swiftly denied these allegations, dismissing them as falsehoods.
In a recorded video statement, President Zelenskiy revealed that Ukrainian intelligence agencies had obtained information suggesting that Russia was contemplating a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, accompanied by a release of radiation. Zelenskiy emphasized that all necessary preparations for such an incident had allegedly been made by Russia.
The Kremlin swiftly rejected the claims, labeling them as “another lie.” They pointed to a recent visit by a team of United Nations nuclear inspectors to the Zaporizhzhia plant, who reportedly expressed satisfaction with the safety and security measures in place. Notably, Zelenskiy did not provide any specific evidence to support the intelligence agencies’ assertions.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year, the Zaporizhzhia plant has been under occupation. Both sides have accused each other of shelling the facility, and attempts to establish a demilitarized zone have been unsuccessful thus far.
Zelenskiy expressed concerns about the potential consequences of an attack on the nuclear plant, stating, “Unfortunately, I have had to remind people more than once that radiation knows no state borders. And who it will hit is determined only by the direction of the wind…”
Furthermore, this statement follows recent allegations made by Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, who accused Russia of “mining” the cooling pond used to regulate the plant’s reactors. These allegations come in the wake of the destruction of a dam across the Dnipro River, resulting in severe flooding in southern Ukraine. Ukraine has attributed the dam’s destruction to Russia, while Russia claims that Ukraine sabotaged it.
President Zelenskiy highlighted that intelligence agencies had gathered new evidence implicating Russian forces in the destruction of the dam and other structures at the hydroelectric plant. He described the incident as a “completely deliberate, calculated crime.”
Given Ukraine’s tragic history with the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, Zelenskiy’s concerns about the potential attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant reflect the country’s determination to prevent another catastrophic event.
