In his evening address, President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that intelligence sources have indicated Russia's plans for a potential provocation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
According to Zelensky, explosives have been placed on the roofs of two power units by Russian forces.
The evening update from Ukraine's Armed Forces General Staff stated that Russian troops are preparing for an imminent strike.
The General Staff explained that the explosives' detonation is not expected to damage the power units but could create a false impression of Ukraine's military involvement.
Meanwhile, Renat Karchaa, an adviser to the head of Russia's nuclear power operator Rosenergoatom, claimed that Ukraine is planning an attack on the nuclear power plant overnight on July 5, using precision weapons and kamikaze drones. This information was reported by Russian state-controlled agencies.
Karchaa alleged that Ukraine intends to target the plant with a Soviet-made tactical ballistic missile called Tochka, equipped with a warhead filled with radioactive waste.
It is worth noting that Russia has consistently accused Ukraine of carrying out attacks that Russia itself has orchestrated.
Zelensky emphasized the importance of global attention to the actions of the occupiers at the nuclear plant, stating that overall security relies on it.
In response to the situation at the plant, Ukraine's Health Ministry issued guidelines on how to behave in a contaminated zone.
However, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, did not mention any new installations on the power units' roofs or the potential provocation by Russian forces in his press statement on July 4.
During the night of July 4, the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant experienced another loss of connection to its main external power line, as reported by Ukraine's state nuclear energy agency, Energoatom.
This major nuclear power plant, located in the occupied city of Enerhodar, had to rely on its only available 330-kilovolt backup power line, which was recently reactivated after being inactive since March 1.
Before the Russian occupation in March 2022, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant had six backup lines and four main lines of 750 kV.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and its effective occupation of the power plant, Europe's largest nuclear facility has been facing significant challenges with its off-site power supply.
Russian forces have been using the plant as a military base to launch attacks on Ukrainian-controlled areas across the Dnipro River.
As a result of these attacks on the country's energy infrastructure, the plant has been completely disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid multiple times, necessitating the use of diesel generators.
On June 20, President Zelensky had previously indicated, based on intelligence information, that Moscow was considering a terrorist attack involving radiation leakage at the nuclear power plant.
