A Russian-occupied nuclear reactor in southern Ukraine could be the target of fresh attacks as Kyiv and Moscow accuse each other for an intended escalation. Via Bloomberg News:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reinforced a warning overnight that Russia may be planning to sabotage the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which Moscow’s forces have occupied since the start of the war. The Kremlin responded Wednesday that the government in Kyiv is planning a provocation.
“We have information from our intelligence that Russian troops have placed objects resembling explosives on the roof of several power units” at Zaporizhzhia, Zelenskiy said in his nightly address to the nation. The objects may also be used to “simulate” an attack, he said.
Inspectors from the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency have reported that they’ve seen no evidence of anti-personnel mines installed within the plant’s grounds that could endanger reactor safety. IAEA monitors at the facility continue to monitor the situation, a spokesperson said.
Bloomberg reports the U.S. has dispatched its Boeing WC-135R Constant Phoenix aircraft to Greece on June 30 has fueled speculation that it could be linked with threats to Zaporizhzhia. The Air Force says the aircraft, which can register radioactive releases in real time, played a crucial role in detecting debris from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear meltdowns.
