Russian soldiers may have put “objects resembling explosives” on the roofs of some buildings of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power facility in southern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned.
On Tuesday, he suggested it in his nightly speech and added a warning about the dangers of radiation at the facility in the event of an explosion.
‘Different countries have their own intelligence and other capabilities to know exactly what is going on and who is to blame,’ cautioned Zelensky, adding that radiation “affects everyone.”
‘Now we have information from our intelligence that the Russian troops have placed objects resembling explosives to the roof of several power units of theZaporizhzhia nuclear power plant perhaps to simulate an attack on the plant.
‘The only source of danger to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is Russia and no one else.
‘Unfortunately there was no timely and large-scale response to the terrorist attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant and this may incite the Kremlin to commit new evil.
‘It is the responsibility of everyone in the world to stop it, no one can stand aside as radiation affects everyone.’
Ukraine accused Russia of destroying the Kakhovka dam while Russia blamed Ukraine for destroying it at the beginning of June.
The devastation meant hundreds of towns and villages were flooded.
Satellite images released at the time showed the extent to which flooding water had impacted the surrounding areas.
Hundreds of animals had to be saved by volunteers following the catastrophic dam explosion.
The Zaporizhzhia power plant was captured by Russian forces in March 2022.
It was feared at the time Russian forces would destroy the plant to deter Ukraine’s advance.
Despite these fears, the nuclear power plant has stayed in operation under Russian energy company Rosatom.
The plant’s reactors were put into ‘cold shutdown’ mode in September 2022.
This was to prevent possible damage during the war, but explosions at the plant could still cause a nuclear meltdown, which would spread radiation.
Just last week, Zelensky warned the occupied plant remains under ‘serious threat’.