The ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive looks set to reach the city of Zaporizhzhia shortly as Ukrainian intelligence claims that Russian forces are mining the city’s nuclear power plant to explode in preparation for its potential capture.
The allegation is fiercely disputed by the Russians who in turn issued a counterclaim that Ukraine itself was planning on attacking the plant. Russia has been in control of the hotly contested city and its nuclear power station since March 2022, and experts warn that fighting around the power plant could trigger a catastrophic meltdown.
The largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia plant is equipped with six uranium-powered light-water reactors and became known around the world after it was damaged during the early stages of the Russian invasion following intense shelling.
Politico reports that Russian workers at the plant have already been instructed to leave by July 5th.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was keen to gin up the prospect of Russian sabotage at the facility over the weekend as Ukrainian emergency services prepared their protocols in the event of a nuclear incident. According to Kyiv, the power plant’s cooling pools which store spent nuclear fuel have been mined by Russian forces in preparation for a staged attack.
A spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs has responded to the allegations saying that the Ukranians are instead preparing a false flag attack at Zaporizhzhia similar to the Kremlin’s response to the bombing of the Kakhovka Dam last month.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which is monitoring the situation has not verified either of the claims though it did not have full access to the station because of the occupying Russian forces. A recent inspection by the IAEA did not reveal any evidence of planned sabotage though officials expressed concern that the Russians had mined the perimeter of the facility.
During heavy fighting last year, two of Zaporizhzhia’s reactors were damaged by shelling as teams of Ukrainians and Russians kept the plant ticking over at limited capacity.
The retaking of Zaporizhzhia is essential for the current Ukrainian counteroffensive which is attempting to reach the Azov Sea in the hopes of severing occupied Russian territory. The success of the Ukrainian Army has reportedly been mixed in its counteroffensive so far, however, as Russian minefields and an alleged lack of material support has stalled Ukrainian advances.
Whether it be the mysterious destruction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline or the equally ambiguous Kakhovka Dam disaster, the destruction of vital infrastructure and subsequent information warfare has been a major aspect of the war in Ukraine as both sides accuse each other of dirty deeds.
