Pro-Russian propaganda blames Ukraine for the attack on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and threatens reprisals if it is hit.
Tension is rising every day around the Zaporijjia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe. As high-voltage power lines were hit at Ukraine’s nuclear site under Russian control this weekend, Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the strikes. Worse, according to Ukraine’s nuclear agency Energoatom, Russia allegedly planted explosives at the Zaporizhia factory and would be willing to “blow it up”.
Indeed, Russia is accused of misusing the facility nuclear shield knowing that the Ukrainians cannot attack the Russian artillery stationed at the foot of Zaporizhya. Ukraine also wants to set up a demilitarized zone around the nuclear power plant.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, like the rest of the world, is very concerned about the news from Zaporizhia, calling it a “runaway” situation and pointing the finger at the responsibility of Russia “violated all security principles”.
“To those worried about the lack of new threats”
But in the last few hours, Russian propaganda has increased the fever around this highly sensitive topic. On Russian television, the pro-Putin Ukrainian Yuri Kot clearly threatened Kiev’s allies with reprisals in the form of nuclear fire in the event of attacks on the Zaporizhia power plant. “We must tell Ukraine and its allies, especially Britain and America, that in the event of damage to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and a catastrophe, missiles will immediately hit Washington and London.”
BBC correspondent Francis Scarr shared the video clip on his social media and commented: “For those of you concerned about the lack of recent nuclear missile threats on Russian state television, there was news today.”
For those of you who may be concerned about the absence of recent nuclear missile threats on Russian state television, there was a new one today
Yuri Kot says Russia should fire one missile at Washington and another at London if anything happens to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant pic.twitter.com/0VRJSGJyU4
—Francis Scarr (@francis_scarr) August 8, 2022
However, Yuri Kot’s statement was questioned even on the Channel 1 set. Aleksey Mukhin, head of the Russian Political Information Center, even stood out: “It would trigger the protocol of mutual destruction, so I would honestly refrain from making such statements. “