Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of plotting a "terrorist act" at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).
Zelensky made the accusations during a video address that was shared on social media Thursday. In his remarks, he said Ukrainian intelligence had received information that Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces could release radiation at the Ukrainian plant, which is Europe's largest atomic power station.
Soon after Putin ordered his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, his military took control of the nuclear complex and has occupied it ever since. Concerns about ZNPP's safety have continued throughout the war, and the destruction of the dam at Nova Kakhovka earlier this month increased worries about nuclear risks since the dam's reservoir supplies cooling waters for the Zaporizhzhia plant.
"Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering the scenario of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant—a terrorist act with a release of radiation," Zelensky said in his address. "They have prepared everything for this."
Moscow denied the Ukrainian leader's accusations on Thursday.
"This is another lie," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a press briefing. "There have just been contacts with the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] there, on the ground. A very high assessment from the IAEA. They saw everything—everything they wanted to see."
IAEA director Rafael Grossi traveled to Zaporizhzhia last week to assess the nuclear safety at the facility. In a Wednesday statement, he said ZNPP staff were "exploring alternative ways of getting water" to the plant following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam.
Grossi also said the IAEA has increased its presence at the facility to monitor its safety given the military conflict.
"The nuclear safety and security situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is extremely fragile," Grossi said. "Now more than ever, all sides must fully adhere to the IAEA's basic principles designed to prevent a nuclear accident. We will intensify our efforts to help ensure nuclear safety and security, while also providing assistance to the affected region in other ways."
Zelensky's statement about Russia possibly committing a "terrorist act" at the plant follows a warning from Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, who told state TV on Tuesday that Putin's forces had mined the Zaporizhzhia plant.
"If they disable it by blowing it up, there is a high probability that there will be significant problems," Budanov said, according to a translation by The Kyiv Independent.
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Jon Jackson is an Associate Editor at Newsweek based in New York. His focus is on reporting on the Ukraine ... Read more
