Ukraine claims Russia is planning to fake a serious nuclear accident at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and force a ceasefire

• Ukraine claims that Russia is planning to stage an accident at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.

• They said that in the event of an accident, a ceasefire would be needed that would allow Russia to prepare for a counteroffensive by Ukraine.

• The ministry did not provide any evidence to support the allegations.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has warned that Russia plans to simulate a major accident at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in order to thwart Ukraine’s imminent counteroffensive.

The plant in southern Ukraine is the largest in Europe and has been under Russian control since last year.

“The Russians are preparing massive provocations and imitations of the accident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the coming hours,” the Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said on social media on Friday.

“They are planning an attack on the territory of the ZNAK nuclear power plant. After that they will announce the release of radioactive substances,” it said.

The ministry claimed that Russia hoped to launch an international investigation that would require a ceasefire so that Russia could use the lull in fighting to better prepare for Ukraine’s counteroffensive. It provided no evidence for its claims.

“They will obviously blame Ukraine,” the Ukrainian ministry said.

Ukraine is expected to soon launch its long-awaited counteroffensive to recapture Russian-occupied territories, including the Zaporizhia region.

There have been repeated heavy fighting around the nuclear power plant, and both Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for dangerous attacks on the plant.

The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency had previously warned of the risk of a “serious nuclear accident” at the plant due to ongoing fighting.

Earlier this month, nearly 2,000 people were evacuated from towns in the region, with roads reportedly heavily congested as people fled in busloads.

A radiation leak at the plant would require further evacuations, which would be difficult in a war zone, experts say, according to Al Jazeera.

Last week it was reported that Russian forces had strengthened their defensive positions around the nuclear power plant in advance of the expected counteroffensive.

One of Ukraine’s most senior security officials, Oleksiy Danilov, told the BBC on Saturday that Ukraine was ready to launch a counteroffensive and that it could begin “tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week.”

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