DISINFO: Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant: Kyiv needs a nuclear explosion to keep receiving aid from its Western sponsors
SUMMARY
From a military point of view, Kyiv is unable to increase the efficiency of its army. Therefore, emergency incidents are increasingly discussed. They need an emotional shock. They can achieve this if they do something terrible, which is why there is talk of an explosion at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
RESPONSE
This is a recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative about a Ukrainian provocation involving a false flag attack. There is no evidence that Ukraine is preparing any provocations at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Disinformation aiming to exploit fears about a nuclear catastrophe is part of Russia’s nuclear blackmail campaign. Other elements include the Kremlin's irresponsible nuclear arms sabre-rattling.
It is Russia who is making irresponsible hints and statements about the possibility of using nuclear arms in its war against Ukraine. For several years now the Russian infosphere has seen nuclear threats being made against the west by public figures like Dmitry Kiselyov or Vladimir Zhirinovsky. Since beginning of 2022 and the full invasion, Russian officials having made such statements include Dmitry Medvedev, Ramzan Kadyrov, Margarita Simonyan or even Vladimir Putin who specified that “it was not a bluff”.
Accusing others of “false flag operations” and “setups” to increase tensions or cover Russia’s own illicit actions are frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation techniques. Russian authorities and pro-Kremlin outlets frequently make these claims even if nothing emerges afterwards, aiming to reinforce the narrative that Russia is constantly the victim of such operations.
Earlier, Kyiv accused Russia this month of planning a "terrorist" attack at the nuclear plant involving the release of radiation. Ukrainian intelligence said that Russia is gradually reducing the number of personnel at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station.
This is not the first time the Kremlin’s manipulation and disinformation machine has used a deep-seated and reasonable fear of a nuclear disaster to advance its political and military goals in Ukraine. Pro-Kremlin sources have previously accused Ukraine of constructing a dirty nuclear bomb or carrying out a provocation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
In fact, Russia has adopted many reckless actions regarding this facility, including placing military equipment and troops inside its premises, using its surroundings as a base for rocket and missile attacks, and interrupting its power line. Besides, Russia rejected UN proposals to demilitarize the areas surrounding the plant, as it was deliberately waging a fear campaign about the risks of a nuclear disaster in order to advance its goals in Ukraine.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that containers with radioactive substances were delivered from Europe to Ukraine for a provocation to accuse Russia, that Ukraine is going to use a dirty bomb to accuse Russia of using tactical nuclear weapons, or that Kyiv passed from rejecting nuclear weapons to preparing a dirty bomb.