A Russian serviceman guards the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in in southeastern Ukraine in May 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia has positioned units that appear to be explosives on high of reactors on the plant. He says Russia could perform sabotage and blame Ukraine. Russia, in flip, says Ukraine is planning to assault the plant.

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A Russian serviceman guards the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in in southeastern Ukraine in May 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia has positioned units that appear to be explosives on high of reactors on the plant. He says Russia could perform sabotage and blame Ukraine. Russia, in flip, says Ukraine is planning to assault the plant.

AP

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Russian forces have positioned units resembling explosives on the roofs of nuclear reactors at an influence plant they management in southeastern Ukraine.

Zelenskyy made the alarming declare in his nightly video tackle late Tuesday, including that he believes the Russians could quickly sabotage the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and blame Ukraine.

“We have information from our intelligence that the Russian military has placed objects similar to explosives on the roof of several power units,” Zelenskyy stated.

“Perhaps to simulate an attack on the plant. Perhaps they have some other scenario,” he added. “But in any case, the world sees — and cannot help but see — that the only source of danger to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is Russia, and no one else.”

The Zaporizhzhia plant is among the largest in Europe with six nuclear reactors. Ukrainian officers say the potential explosive units have been positioned on high of the quantity 3 and quantity 4 reactors.

Russia, in flip, claims Ukraine is planning army motion in opposition to the nuclear facility.

Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency alleged Ukraine was planning to hit the plant with a “warhead stuffed with nuclear waste.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday warned of “catastrophic consequences.”

“Therefore we are, of course, taking all measures to prevent such threats,” stated Peskov.

Neither the Russian nor Ukrainian declare could possibly be independently confirmed.

Both sides have made accusations that the opposite has attacked the plant since Russia seized the plant in March final 12 months, simply days after it launched a full-scale invasion. Now Russia and Ukraine each say the menace is imminent.

Ukraine’s offensive is happening close by

The newest growth comes as Ukraine is urgent a serious offensive within the east and south of the nation. One line of assault is about 50 miles east of the nuclear plant.

Ukraine has made restricted advances since launching the offensive a month in the past. But if Ukrainian troops had been to interrupt via Russian traces, the Russian troops holding the Zaporizhzhia plant could be at nice threat of getting trapped there.

The Russians on the plant are already hemmed in to the north and the west by the Dnipro River, with Ukrainian forces on the other aspect of the river.

If the Ukrainians may retake the plant it could symbolize a serious army and symbolic victory, and an enormous setback for the Russians.

However, the plant has come beneath shelling on a number of events, and a firefight badly broken a coaching facility. Full-scale fight close to or on the plant would additional improve the potential of a nuclear accident.

The head of he International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, made his third go to to the plant final month to look right into a separate disaster — a potential lack of water wanted to chill nuclear materials.

Grossi visited after a dam downriver from the plant was destroyed in early June. Russia and Ukraine blame one another for the Kakhovka dam’s destruction, although most specialists say the accessible proof suggests Russia was accountable.

Russia managed the dam for greater than a 12 months earlier than it collapsed. The dam had created a reservoir used for cooling the radioactive gas. Grossi stated sufficient water remains to be accessible in the interim and there’s no imminent hazard.

Multiple issues of safety on the plant

However, he stated the plant’s security internet continued to fray. Grossi was capable of improve the variety of IAEA inspectors on the plant from 4 to 6. They transfer all through the ability, monitoring programs to ensure they’re nonetheless functioning as meant.

While the Russian troops management the plant, a skeleton crew of a number of hundred Ukrainian staff nonetheless run the nuclear facility.

Ukrainian workers who’ve fled the plant describe arrests and torture by the Russian troops there, saying it is extra akin to a army base than an influence plant.

One former employee, Roman German, advised NPR’s Joanna Kakissis that Russian troops typically confirmed little concern for security. He stated they parked army automobiles with ammunition close to the plant’s machine room, in addition to tankers crammed with flammable liquids.

“Also, they mined the territory around the plant. We were told to only walk around in daylight and strictly on concrete paths,” German stated.