Allegations of Russian plan to attack Zaporizhzhia plant ‘heinous provocations’: Moscow

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Moscow said on Saturday that Ukrainian and Western claims of a Russian plan to attack the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are “heinous provocations.”

“There is another attempt to discredit Russia, to attribute non-existent intentions to us, and at the same time to cover up their criminal, and in fact terrorist plans to create an emergency situation that could endanger the lives and health of both the population of the region and residents of European countries,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

Zakharova claimed that Ukrainian officials use “every excuse” to sow “disinformation” about possible risks of a nuclear disaster coming from Russia.

“Attempts to convince Kyiv to refrain from provocations have been made repeatedly, including through the mediation of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Director General Rafael Grossi. However, the Ukrainian side has long chosen the path of escalation and does not want to deviate from it,” Zakharova further said.

She further claimed that Ukraine's refusal to support the recommendations voiced by Grossi during a UN Security Council briefing on May 30 is one of the latest examples of Kyiv’s alleged intention to escalate the situation.

“In the current circumstances, we once again warn Kyiv and Western curators supporting it against potential serious incidents at the Zaporizhzhia NPP and call on the IAEA and its leadership … to record all cases of attacks by the Ukrainian side, not to turn a blind eye to this and clearly state who is to blame for what is happening and where the threat to the safe functioning of this facility really comes from,” she added.

She further accused the US and its allies of “seizing every opportunity to create and inflate horror stories about the ‘Russian nuclear threat’.”

On Thursday, Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian intelligence received information that Russia is considering a “terrorist attack” on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant that could involve radiation leakage.​​​​​​​

The Kremlin slammed the claim as a “lie,” noting that Moscow and the IAEA are determined to continue dialogue regarding the situation at the plant.​​​​​​​

The Zaporizhzhia plant, the biggest in Europe and among the 10 largest in the world, has been under Russia's control since March last year, soon after the start of the Ukraine war. Since then, both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of shelling it.