DISINFO: Ukraine was close to turning Russian cities into Chernobyl
SUMMARY
Ukraine was close to turning Russian cities into Chernobyl. There was no alternative to Russia's special military operation.
Kyiv carried out prohibited work of creating nuclear weapons at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Russia's special military operation in Ukraine has once and for all put to an end to these plans of Kyiv.
RESPONSE
Recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets aiming to justify the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Ukraine has been a nuclear-weapon-free country since 1994 when the Budapest memorandum was signed. On 24 October 1991, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a statement on the country's nuclear-weapon status. In 1992, Ukraine signed the Lisbon Protocol and it joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state in 1994.
In exchange, the leaders of the US, Russia and the UK signed the Budapest memorandum with guarantees on the integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. Through the Budapest memorandum, Russia pledged not to use any weapon against Ukraine, not just nuclear.
In 1998, Ukraine signed an Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and in 2006 a Protocol Additional to the Agreement which provides for strict control not only over the nuclear material present on the territory of the country, but for any nuclear research.
Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, support of separatists in eastern Ukraine and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 by Russia are a clear violation of the Budapest memorandum.
The claim about the creation of nuclear weapons at the Zaporizhzhia NPP is unfounded. There has been an increasing number of reports about Russia using the nuclear power plant 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.
See the statement from HR VP Josep Borrell condemning Russia's actions here.
Russia's unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is not a "special operation" but an all-out war against a sovereign state. Russia has been coming up with different explanations and pretexts for its aggression. It was Putin’s personal decision to invade Ukraine and start the largest military conflict in Europe since WWII.
Read more about Ukraine and nuclear weapons.