DISINFO: UK is supervising the preparation of a provocation at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant by Kyiv
SUMMARY
The preparation of Kyiv's provocation at the ZNPP is supervised by British special services. The provocation can be undertaken before the NATO summit, which is scheduled for mid-July.
The Kyiv authorities are considering several scenarios of provocation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, including a missile attack or a terrorist attack. The Kyiv authorities may decide to attack both the dry storage of spent nuclear fuel and the nuclear power plant itself. It could just be a terrorist act, given that the territory of the nuclear power plant is huge, and storage facilities for weapons and explosives can be anywhere. It can also be a staging using radioactive isotopes of Russian origin.
RESPONSE
Conspiracy, and recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative about a Ukrainian provocation involving a false flag attack on a nuclear waste storage facility.
There is no evidence that Ukraine is preparing any provocations at the nuclear power plant, and the involvement of foreign intelligence services in this.
Disinformation aiming to exploit fears about a nuclear catastrophe is part of Russia’s nuclear blackmail campaign. Other elements include the Kremlin's irresponsible nuclear arms sabre-rattling.
Accusing others of “false flag operations” and “setups” to increase tensions or cover Russia’s own illicit actions are frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation techniques. Russian authorities and pro-Kremlin outlets frequently make these claims even if nothing emerges afterwards, aiming to reinforce the narrative that Russia is constantly the victim of such operations.
Earlier, Kyiv accused Russia this month of planning a "terrorist" attack at the nuclear plant involving the release of radiation. Ukrainian intelligence said that Russia is gradually reducing the number of personnel at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station.
This is not the first time the Kremlin’s manipulation and disinformation machine has used a deep-seated and reasonable fear of a nuclear disaster to advance its political and military goals in Ukraine. Pro-Kremlin sources have previously accused Ukraine of constructing a dirty nuclear bomb or carrying out a provocation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
In fact, Russia has adopted many reckless actions regarding this facility, including placing military equipment and troops inside its premises, using its surroundings as a base for rocket and missile attacks, and interrupting its power line. Besides, Russia rejected UN proposals to demilitarize the areas surrounding the plant, as it was deliberately waging a fear campaign about the risks of a nuclear disaster in order to advance its goals in Ukraine.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that containers with radioactive substances were delivered from Europe to Ukraine for a provocation to accuse Russia, that Ukraine is going to use a dirty bomb to accuse Russia of using tactical nuclear weapons, or that Kyiv passed from rejecting nuclear weapons to preparing a dirty bomb.