"The [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky regime is hatching several scenarios regarding the nuclear plant against the backdrop of the failure of the counteroffensive. This could be a missile attack, a terrorist attack, or an attempt to seize it by forcing Dnepr [River]," Rogov said, adding that Zelensky and Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov were behind the preparation of a possible provocation.
Rogov stated that Kiev was also planning to use media as part of its provocation to accuse Moscow, among other things, of mining the ZNPP — a claim that has already been refuted by the IAEA mission present at the plant.
The Russian official warned that the possible provocation could be carried out before the NATO summit in Vilnius, scheduled for July 11-12.
Located on the left bank of the Dnipro River, the Zaporozhye nuclear facility is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe by number of units and energy output. It came under the control of Russian forces in early March 2022 and has since been repeatedly shelled, raising international concerns over a possible nuclear accident.
The International Atomic Energy Agency established a permanent presence of its experts at the Zaporozhye nuclear station in September 2022 to guarantee its safety during the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine.