SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
Kyiv, Moscow trade claims of imminent Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant attack
Kyiv, Ukraine, July 4 (AFP) Jul 04, 2023
The Ukraine government accused Russia on Tuesday of planning a "provocation" at the Moscow-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, while Russia claimed that Kyiv was planning to "attack" the facility.

Fears over the safety risks for the nuclear plant, Europe's largest, have been constant throughout Russia's invasion, but increased in early June after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, the source of cooling water for its reactors.

The mutual accusations were made around the same time late on Tuesday.

Kyiv's military warned of the "possible preparation of a provocation on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia power plant in the near future".

It claimed that "external objects similar to explosive devices were placed on the outer roof of the third and fourth reactors" at the site.

"Their detonation should not damage power units, but may create a picture of shelling from the Ukrainian side," it said, alleging that Moscow would "misinform on this".

In Moscow, an advisor to Russia's Rosatom nuclear agency, Renat Karchaa, accused Kyiv of planning an attack on the plant.

"Today, we got information that I am authorised to announce... On July 5, literally at night, in the dark, the Ukrainian army will try to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," Karchaa told Russian state television.

He claimed that Ukraine planned to use "high-precision, long-range weapons" as well as drones.

Russia and Ukraine have regularly accused each other of putting the plant's safety at risk since the outbreak of the war in February 2022.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Bearings Used in Space Technologies: Engineering for the Final Frontier
China prepares for Mars sample return with HKU astrobiologist on mission team
Robots could one day crawl across the moon

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Ultrasound triggers nuclear decay anomaly hinting at flexible space-time
AI system accelerates aircraft concept design using language models
Autonomous sub explores unexplored trench depths to reveal critical mineral clues

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
PLD Space selected as leading contender for ESA sovereign launch initiative
UK opens competitive bid for GBP 75 million orbital cleanup mission
Boeing wins major contract to deliver new generation strategic comms satellites

24/7 News Coverage
Glacier retreat could drive a surge in volcanic eruptions worldwide
UK thermal satellite firm wins ESA contract to deliver real time climate and security insights
Beyond male dominance in primates new study redefines gender power roles



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.