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Russia Uses Fabricated Nuclear Plant Attacks to Justify Major Long Range Strike Escalation
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The Kremlin is using allegations of Ukrainian strikes on the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to justify a potential escalation of hostilities and intensified long-range attacks against Ukraine, according to a new assessment by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on May 31.
ISW noted that the Russian-installed administration at the ZNPP reported two Ukrainian attacks on the facility on May 30 and 31. According to Russian claims, the first strike damaged the turbine hall of the plant’s sixth power unit, while the second targeted a transport workshop.
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Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has rejected Russian claims that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, calling the allegations part of a disinformation campaign timed ahead of an upcoming meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors.
In a statement issued on May 31, the ministry said Moscow was attempting to shift international focus away from its ongoing occupation of the nuclear facility, which both Ukraine and the IAEA continue to recognize as Ukrainian territory under Russian control.
According to the ministry, Russia has repeatedly used similar narratives in the lead-up to IAEA meetings. Officials noted that the latest accusations surfaced just before the agency’s June session, during which member states are expected to examine key reports related to nuclear safety, security, and safeguards.
On May 31, the IAEA reported that its experts stationed at the plant had observed damage to a turbine hall consistent with the effects of a drone strike. However, the agency did not specify whether the drone involved was Ukrainian or Russian, according to ISW.
The issue was further escalated by Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, who cited the alleged attack to threaten retaliatory action.
Medvedev claimed that Russia would carry out “symmetrical” strikes against nuclear power plants in Ukraine or NATO countries if attacks on the ZNPP resulted in significant damage.
According to ISW, Russian forces have repeatedly endangered Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure throughout the war. The think tank noted that Russia has militarized the Zaporizhzhia plant by positioning military equipment near nuclear reactors, stationing troops on and around the site, and launching drones from the facility’s territory.
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“Russian officials frequently make unsubstantiated accusations of Ukrainian strikes on ZNPP and civilian targets to justify escalatory behavior and intensified long-range strikes against Ukraine,” ISW stated.
The development comes as Russian troops launched a series of attacks across multiple regions of Ukraine over the past day, targeting civilian areas and infrastructure, killing at least two people and injuring more than 50 others, according to regional officials.
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