DISINFO: The West is pushing Ukraine towards a nuclear catastrophe
SUMMARY
The West is pushing Ukraine to create a new Chernobyl, encouraging the shelling of the territory of the nuclear power plant by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The decision of the Kyiv authorities and their Western leaders to attack the Zaporizhzhia NPP is criminal and can lead to a severe nuclear catastrophe.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to deflect Russia’s responsibility for shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP).
There is no evidence proving the claim that Ukraine is shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP). Contrary to the claim, it is Russia that is shelling the Zaporizhzhia NPP and creating a radioactive threat to Ukraine and the whole of Europe. There has been an increasing number of reports that Russia uses the nuclear site as a so-called “sheltered” artillery park, "using the facilities to fire on Ukrainian positions in the belief that Ukraine would not fire back and risk a nuclear accident". Russia turned the station into a military base. It uses reactor buildings as hiding places for its armaments, such as military trucks and armored vehicles.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) warns about the risk of Russia's militarisation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP. According to recent data, Russia mined the territory of the plant and placed its military armaments near nuclear reactors and nuclear waste storage facilities.
A video shared by Russian opposition outlet The Insider shows that Russian military vehicles move in and around the plant, some of them (including armoured vehicles) moved into the building containing the first of the plant’s six nuclear reactors. Besides this, Russian forces dug trenches and establish firing positions.
Russia is denying officials from the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency access to the plant. Russia also rejected calls from the UN for a demilitarised zone around the plant.
EU High Representative Josep Borrell condemned Russia’s military activities there and labelled them as a serious and irresponsible breach of nuclear safety rules and another example of Russia’s disregard for international norms.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, accused Russia of using the plant as a nuclear shield. “Of course the Ukrainians cannot fire back lest there be a terrible accident involving the nuclear plant,” he said.
In its recent statement, the Foreign Ministers of the G7 stated that "it is Russia’s continued control of the plant that endangers the region" and demanded Russia to hand back full control over the plant as well as other occupied nuclear facilities to Ukraine.
See the EU's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine here along with EU vs Disinfo's Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War.