Moscow, 5 July 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Moscow and Kiev are both accusing each other of an imminent attack on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, a calamity that could spread radioactive pollution over a large swathe of Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his intelligence service had received information "that the Russian military has placed objects resembling explosives on the roofs of several reactor units."

"Perhaps to simulate an attack on the plant. Perhaps they have some other scenario," he speculated in his nightly video address.

"Unfortunately, there was no timely and widespread response to the terrorist attack against the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant. And this could inspire the Kremlin to commit new evil deeds," Zelensky said.

In June, an explosion destroyed the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam. The catastrophe flooded hundreds of communities, ruined crops and deprived people of power and clean water.

Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of the destruction. Moscow denies it and blames Kiev for the crime.

Renat Karchaa, adviser to the head of the Russian atomic energy agency, Rosenergoatom, meanwhile warned on state television on Tuesday that the Ukrainian armed forces could try to attack the plant as early as Wednesday night, using missiles and drones.

Echoing Zelensky, the Ukrainian General Staff wrote in its daily situation report that Russian forces had placed explosive devices on the plant's roof to indicate an imminent attack.

The explosive devices were attached to the roofs of the third and fourth reactor units, but were probably not intended to damage the reactors themselves should they be detonated, said the report.

Ukraine will not violate the norms of international law, the military leadership in Kiev stressed.

This is, however, exactly what Karchaa accuses the Ukrainians of doing.

Karchaa claims that Kiev is not only planning on shelling the nuclear power plant, but also on dropping a bomb containing nuclear waste at the same time. No evidence was provided to support the claim.

Russian troops have occupied the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant since March 2022. The facility has come under fire several times during the fighting, raising international concerns of a nuclear disaster. For safety reasons, all reactors have been shut down, but any physical breach could still spell disaster.

A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is on site to observe any developments.

Both warring parties repeatedly accuse each other of planned provocations around the power plant. Recently however, these accusations have steadily intensified.

Photo: MIA archive