Zaporizhia is again at the center of concerns. Ukraine accuses, since Tuesday, July 4, Moscow of preparing a “provocation” in the nuclear power plant in the southern region of the country, occupied by Russian troops, while Russia assures for its part that Kiev is preparing an “attack” of installation. L’Express takes stock of what the two camps accuse each other of.
What kyiv says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday evening that he had warned his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron against the “dangerous provocations” for which Russia is preparing, according to him, at the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia.
“I warned Emmanuel Macron that the occupation troops were preparing dangerous provocations at the Zaporizhia power plant,” Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement after a telephone conversation with the French president. “We have agreed to control the situation as much as possible, with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency),” he added. The IAEA is calling for better access this Wednesday “to confirm the absence of mines or explosives”.
At the same time, the Ukrainian army warned of “the possible preparation of a provocation on the territory of the Zaporizhia power plant in the near future”. She claims that “objects similar to explosive devices were placed on the outer roof of reactors 3 and 4”. “Their denotation should not damage the generators, but give the impression of bombardments from the Ukrainian side”, continues the army, warning that Moscow “will make disinformation on this subject”.
Ukraine called on the international community on Wednesday to take “immediate measures” in the face of the risks at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. “Russia has deployed military personnel and installed fortifications on at least three reactors, placing explosives at the plant […] It is high time for the world to take immediate action,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry tweeted.
What Moscow says
In Moscow, an adviser to the Russian nuclear giant Rosatom, Renat Karchaa, accused kyiv of preparing an “attack” on the plant. “Today we received information that I am authorized to reveal. On July 5, during the night, in complete darkness, the Ukrainian army will try to attack the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia,” Renat Karchaa told Russian television. He assures that kyiv has planned to use “long-range precision weapons” and drones.
This Wednesday, the Kremlin warned of a possible Ukrainian “subversive act” with “catastrophic consequences” at the nuclear power plant. “The situation is very tense, because the risk of a subversive act by the Kiev regime is very high. A subversive act that can have catastrophic consequences,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. .
“We must take all measures to combat this threat,” he added, accusing kyiv of having “repeatedly” shown its ability to “be ready for anything”.
Mutual accusations for several weeks
In recent weeks, kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of endangering the security of the plant, while the Ukrainian army is carrying out a counter-offensive in this part of Ukraine. Falling into the hands of the Russian army on March 4, 2022, Europe’s largest power plant was targeted by gunfire and cut off from the electricity grid on several occasions. According to kyiv, Russia has placed troops and weapons in its compound.
The destruction in June of the Kakhovka dam, located in the southern zone occupied by Russia, raised concerns about the sustainability of the basin used to cool the six reactors of the plant. On June 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of preparing a “terrorist attack” involving a “radiation” leak at the Zaporizhia power plant, an accusation immediately dismissed as a “lie” by the Kremlin.