The Kremlin stated today, Thursday, that there is a continuous threat of "provocations" from Ukraine regarding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned during a press briefing that inspectors recently visited the site to assess the safety condition of the plant, which is controlled by Russian forces and located near the front line in the fighting in southern Ukraine.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has continually urged both sides to avoid shelling near the largest nuclear plant in Europe.
On the Ukrainian side, regional officials stated that Kyiv began drills for responding to nuclear disasters today, near the Zaporizhzhia plant. Kyiv accused its neighbor Moscow this month of planning to carry out a "terrorist" attack on the plant involving the release of nuclear radiation, an accusation Moscow denied.
The governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, Yuri Malashko, which encompasses the plant, indicated that the drills began in the city of Zaporizhzhia and the surrounding areas. Governor of the neighboring Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, confirmed that similar drills started in Kherson, mentioning that "the purpose of the activity is to coordinate the actions of all services in the event of a real threat of an emergency at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," and urged residents to remain calm.
Kyiv and Moscow have been exchanging accusations regarding shelling of the vast complex of the plant, with both sides describing it as "nuclear terrorism."
