Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of planning an attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.

In a statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says that in a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, he warned that Russia is ”preparing dangerous provocations at the Zaporizhzhia plant”. 

Zelenskiy says that Russia has set up explosive-like objects at the plant. 

He refers to information from the Ukrainian intelligence service.

”We agreed to keep the situation under maximum control together with the IAEA,” says Zelenskiy, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The Zaporizhzhia plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.

The Russian government also suspects that an attack on the plant may be imminent.

There are reports that the Ukrainians are planning to attack the nuclear power plant.

Renat Karchaa, an advisor to the Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom, claims that Ukraine will use long-range high-precision weapons to hit the plant.

”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,” Russian news agencies quoted Karchaa as telling Russian television.

Ukraine and Russia have also accused each other several times in the past of planning attacks against the plant.

The Zaporizhzhia plant was occupied by the Russian army shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

Since then, there have been numerous battles in the area around the plant.

This has led to great concern that the plant will be damaged. And that in the worst case scenario, it could result in a nuclear disaster.

The UN has called for a demilitarized zone to be established around the large nuclear power plant.