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Russia and Ukraine accused each other on Wednesday of plotting sabotage Zaporizhia a nuclear plant in southern Ukraine, raising tensions over one of the main flashpoints of the war, even as analysts said the immediate risk of serious damage appeared low.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, citing the country’s intelligence service, said Russian forces that seized the plant in March last year had placed explosive-like objects on the roof of several power units, possibly intended to simulate an attack. And blame Ukraine. He did not elaborate and the claim could not be independently confirmed, but Ukrainian officials have increasingly heightened warnings of nuclear sabotage. The only source of danger for the Zaporozhye NPP is Russia, and no one else. On Tuesday, Ukraine’s Ministry of Health issued guidelines in case of emergency.
In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov raised the specter of a possible “catastrophic” provocation by the Ukrainian military at the nuclear plant, the largest in Europe. “The situation is very tense. There is a great threat of sabotage by the Kiev regime, which could be catastrophic in its consequences,” Peskov said in response to a reporter’s question about the station. He also claimed that the Kremlin is taking “all measures” to counter the alleged Ukrainian threat.
The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency has officials stationed at the Russian-controlled plant, which is still run by Ukrainian employees who oversee critical cooling systems and other safety features. Experts at the plant said on Wednesday they saw no signs of explosives, but more access was needed to confirm. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said the latest inspection of the plant did not reveal any activity related to explosives, “but we are still on high alert.”
Ukrainian and Russian warnings have intensified in recent weeks after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam last month, for which Ukraine and Russia blame each other.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly expressed alarm at the prospect of a radiological catastrophe like the one that occurred at Chernobyl after a reactor explosion in 1986. The six reactors in Zaporizhia have been shut down, but the plant still needs power and qualified personnel to operate critical cooling systems and other safety measures. . Features.



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