Russian Media Claims Ukraine Preparing 'Dirty Nuke' Attack; Kiev "Refutes These False Reports"
Russian state media outlets are sounding the alarm in the overnight hours, alleging that Ukrainian forces are preparing to strike the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Enerhodar, Ukraine, and the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in Russia with radioactive warheads, all in an attempt to create a false flag and blame Moscow. Conversely, the Kyiv Independent quickly brushed off these claims as totally baseless. The situation unfolding in Eastern Europe underlines the growing uncertainty and chaos, thickening the 'fog of war' as tensions escalate.
Concerns over a 'nuclear catastrophe' have soared in the last week after Russia and Ukraine traded blame for a drone strike on ZNPP that sparked a fire in the nuclear power plant's cooling tower. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is entering a new phase, with Ukraine invading Russian territory for the first time.
Now, several Russian state-controlled media outlets, including Russia Today, citing 'intelligence received by Russia,' warned on Friday night that "Ukrainian forces have begun preparations to target nuclear waste storage sites at a Russian power plant with radioactive warheads and to then blame Moscow."
A Russian State media outlet, citing Russian law enforcement officials, reports that Ukrainian Armed Forces are planning to detonate a dirty nuclear bomb and the potential targets are storage sites at power plants. pic.twitter.com/1AGHGedAv6
— RT (@RT_com) August 16, 2024
Here are snippets from RT's report about Ukraine possibly preparing for a 'dirty nuke' attack on nuclear power plants.
"Sources on the other side report that the [Ukrainians] are preparing a nuclear false flag – an explosion of a dirty atomic bomb," military journalist Marat Khairullin said Friday on his Telegram channel. "They plan to strike the storage sites of spent nuclear fuel of a nuclear power plant."
The special warheads intended for the attack have already been delivered to the Vostochny Mining and Processing plant in Zhovti Vody, in Ukraine's Dnepropetrovsk Region, according to Khairullin.
As possible targets of the attack, Khairullin indicated either the Zaporozhye NPP in Energodar or the Kursk NPP in Kurchatov, noting that the Ukrainian government and its Western backers are "desperate and willing to try anything."
A security official in the Russian Military Administration of Kharkov Region corroborated Khairullin's claim to RIA Novosti on Friday. The attack is intended to use radioactive warheads to target spent fuel storage sites at a nuclear power plant, and the ammunition has already been delivered to Zhovti Vody.
Kiev's intention is to accuse Moscow of a false flag so it could justify using nuclear weapons against Ukraine, the security official said. The Ukrainian government has received orders from its Western backers to "escalate as much as possible," he added.
In a separate report, RT cited comments from the Defense Ministry in Moscow that warned swift countermeasures will be taken if Kiev goes through with planned attacks on nuclear power plants:
"If the Kiev regime begins to realize its criminal plans aimed at creating a man-made disaster in the European part of the continent that would infer the radioactive contamination of vast territories, tough military and military-technical countermeasures will be taken immediately".
On the other hand, the Kyiv Independent has quickly rejected Russia's claims about planned dirty bomb attacks on nuclear power plants.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi called the claims "a surge of insane Russian propaganda," adding, "We officially refute these false reports. Ukraine has neither the intention nor the ability to carry out any such actions. Russia must stop spreading dangerous lies."
On X, a user who goes by the name "James Porrazzo" listed dozens of headlines showing how Russia has been the "boy who cried wolf" about nuclear war threats. It's clear that Moscow has often drawn "red lines" and threatened nuclear war... However, the situation in Eastern Europe appears more dire than ever before, with a Ukrainian offensive within Russian territory
🇷🇺 The number of times Russia has declared a "red line" and threatened nuclear war. There's many more.
— James Porrazzo (@JamesPorrazzo) August 17, 2024
Life Tip: Threats only work when backed with ACTION.
Otherwise, they fall into the "Boy Who Cried Wolf" category. pic.twitter.com/MhaQksGVuF
Threats of nuclear conflict also come as nearly 200,000 Russians are being evacuated from the Kursk and Belgorod regions due to the Ukrainian military offensive.
Back home, Americans are growing more anxious about who is actually running the US government. This comes as President Biden's mental acuity slips, and VP Harris spends her time promoting communism price control policies on the campaign trail.