Russia and Ukraine have exchanged accusations about planning an attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he informed his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron about "serious provocations" from Russia at the plant in southeastern Ukraine, emphasizing that they agreed to "keep the situation under maximum control with the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency." In his evening video message, Zelensky said, "Russia is planning to stage an attack on the plant or may have other scenarios." He added, "The world clearly sees that the only source of danger to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is Russia. No one else."
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Wednesday that its experts at the Ukrainian nuclear power plant had not yet observed any signs of mines or explosives at the plant, which is under Russian control. The statement noted "the necessity of allowing access to the roofs of the third and fourth nuclear reactor units, as well as access to parts of the turbine building and some sections of the plant's cooling system."
Renat Karchа, an advisor to the head of "Rosenergoatom," indicated that "Ukraine planned to drop munitions equipped with nuclear waste transported from one of the five nuclear plants it owns." Russian news agencies reported Karchа saying on Russian television, "In the darkness on the night of July 5, the Ukrainian army will attempt to attack the Zaporizhzhia plant using long-range guidance equipment and drones."
