Before the Wagner Group nearly started a civil war in Russia, the war in Ukraine seemed to be headed towards what looked like a ‘nuclear’ crisis.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed in a video statement shared on Thursday that Russian forces are planning a “terrorist” attack on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – the largest such facility in Europe that has been under Russian control since the invasion began in early 2022. In the video, Zelenskyy claimed that Ukrainian intelligence suggests Russian forces are planning to release radiation from the plant.
“Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering the scenario of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant – a terrorist act with a release of radiation,” Zelenskyy said. “They have prepared everything for this.”
In an accompanying Twitter post, Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian officials had held a briefing with allied countries on the matter, which included representatives of both G7 and G20 countries.
“We will continue to inform our partners. We will also provide information to those countries that are pretending to be neutral even now. Obviously, radiation does not ask who is neutral and can reach anyone in the world. Accordingly, anyone in the world can help now, and it is quite clear what to do,” Zelenskyy also said, in what appeared to be an effort to rally support from the wider international community against Russian aggression.
Zelenskyy also echoed calls from the International Atomic Energy Agency, a body that recently called for mutual assurances from Ukraine and Russia to de-escalate at the site, and in the areas around it. Zelenskyy called for a “full de-occupation” of the plant.”
How Russia Responded
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to the claims during a press briefing in Moscow, telling reporters that Zelenskyy’s comments were “another lie.”
Peskov also touted the Russians’ contact with the IAEA as an example of Moscow’s commitment to protecting the plant.
“This is another lie. You know, there have just been contacts with the IAEA on the spot. A very high assessment of Russia’s actions at the plant by the IAEA. They saw everything – everything they wanted to see,” Peskov said.
Peskov also said that Moscow is planning to talk soon with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and will facilitate a discussion with Russia’s Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation chief Alexey Likhachev.
“Our dialogue and cooperation with the IAEA continues, and we are interested in continuing these contacts. And the IAEA is interested. Everything else is a lie,” Peskov said.
We held a briefing for our partner countries on the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. There were representatives of the G7 and G20 countries, as well as representatives of international organizations. Here, in the Office. The MID, the Office’s team, our diplomats… pic.twitter.com/yIuJBNRoIX
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 22, 2023
Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
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