"If detonated, they would not damage the reactors but would create an image of shelling from the Ukrainian side,” the statement on Telegram said. It said the Ukrainian army stood “ready to act under any circumstances”.
In his nightly video message, Zelenskiy said Russia was planning to “simulate an attack” on the plant. “But in any case, the world sees – and cannot fail to see – that the only source of danger to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is Russia. And no one else.”
Zelenskiy and the Ukrainian military provided no evidence for their assertions"
Oh good. Everyone is making it sound like they’re going to make a radioactive cloud that triggers article 5. Nope, they’re just making more shitty propaganda for the domestic Russian audience.
They’ve also rigged the reactors, we just don’t know if they’ll donate them as well or if that’s just a backup plan. But given Russia’s level of competence throughout the war who knows if they’ll accidentally detonate it.
That’s the part where it gets interesting. Either they commit to blowing the plant or not. If they do, we’ll see Article V activated and the war will be over.
If they don’t, this would be the smartest move though as said very aptly in the beginning of the war by a Ukrainian soldier “thank god they’re so fucking stupid” so I tend to think it will happen just out of incompetence.
If you forget all the death, destruction, terror, and shattered lives, you realize that Putin’s decisions have been so absurd that this might almost be funny.
Considering russia’s prior actions committing ecocide, it is highly likely. I wouldn’t trust a monitor who doesn’t have unfettered access to the facility. I think it’s best to assume the worst of russia in this case.
Budanov, Head of Ukrainian Intelligence, now reverses his stance and claims that the threat of “artificial catastrophe” at the ZNPP is “quietly decreasing”.
In other words, he called off the attack.
What changed?
The International Atomic Energy Agency (UN nuclear watchdog) has been monitoring the ZNPP for months, at the request of Russia.
Today, they report there is no evidence of planted explosives at the ZNPP.
