Russia 'plants explosives on roof of Europe's biggest nuclear power plant'

In his daily national address on Tuesday, Volodymyr Zelensky said: “We have information from our intelligence that the Russian troops have placed objects resembling explosives on the roof of several power units of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.”

Zelensky added: “Perhaps to simulate an attack on the plant.”

Tensions are rising in the areas deemed to be downwind from the plant, as rumours stir about an imminent attack on the plant, which has been under Russian control since February 2022.

Renat Karchaa, an adviser to the head of Rosenergoatom, which runs Russia’s nuclear operation, has spread word that Ukraine is planning to drop ammunition mixed with nuclear waste on the plant.

Russian news agencies have quoted Karchaa as saying: “Under cover of darkness overnight on 5th July, the Ukrainian military will try to attack the Zaporizhzhia station using long-range precision equipment and kamikaze attack drones."

Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters on Wednesday that the situation was “tense” around the Moscow-controlled plant, and warned that any violence “could be catastrophic in its consequences.”

Peskov said: “The Kyiv regime has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to do anything.

“Therefore, all measures are being taken to counter such a threat.”

Rafael Grossi, director general of the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA, has visited the plant three times since it was taken over by Russian in February but has so far failed to reach any agreement to protect the facility safe from shelling.

Professor Michael Clarke, a visiting professor at King’s College London, told Sky News that should the nuclear power plant’s reactors be disturbed, “it would be something akin to Chernobyl in 1986.”

He added: “We’ve reached the point now of maximum fear. But are they mad enough to do it? Yes they are.”

Zelensky is said to have warned Emmanuel Macron about “occupation troops preparing dangerous provocations” at the plant during a phone call on Tuesday.

Chinese President XI Jinping personally warned Vladimir Putin against a nuclear attack in Ukraine, according to reports that emerged this morning which the Kremlin denied.

It comes as videos emerge of Ukrainian forces blowing up a large Russian ammunition dump in the occupied town of Makiivka.

On Wagner’s recent march on Moscow, Zelensky told CNN: “Half of Russia supported Prigozhin. Half of Russia supported Putin. Some of the Russian regions were balancing in the meantime without knowing for sure who to support.”

In other spurious accusations, paranoid Russian politicians have publicly discussed a supposed ‘Pentagon project’ to drop infected mosquitoes on their troops.

The panicky politicians kept a straight face as they debated an appropriate response to the ‘Allied Insects’ project, in which America is alleged to have enlisted the unlikely support of insects.