The Russian Defense Ministry has denied parking heavy weapons near the Zaporizhia nuclear plant in Ukraine. “Russian troops do not have heavy weapons either on the territory of the plant or in neighboring areas. There are only guards there,” the ministry said today.
The ministry accused Kyiv of preparing a “provocation” at the nuclear plant during UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ visit to Ukraine so that it could accuse Moscow of “creating a man-made catastrophe”.
The Defense Ministry said Ukraine had sent troops to the area and planned to launch an artillery attack on the nuclear plant in the city of Nikopol tomorrow, while Guterres visits the city of Odessa. The “responsibility for the consequences” must then be transferred to “the Russian armed forces”.
The nuclear power plant located in southern Ukraine has six of the 15 Ukrainian nuclear reactors. The Russian army has occupied the nuclear plant since March, and it has been repeatedly bombed since late July. Kyiv and Moscow blame each other for the attacks. This has raised fears that a nuclear catastrophe could occur at Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant.