Ukraine says Russia will attack nuclear plant in false-flag operation

‘After, Russia will announce that the attack resulted in a leak of radioactive materials.’

Journalism is too opaque and misunderstood. Chills gives a behind-the-scenes look at how dangerous investigative journalism gets made. 

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A 2022 exercise in the city of Zaporizhzhya in preparation for a possible nuclear incident at the power plant located near the city. (JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)

A source in Kyiv just sent me a message from the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence (his translation):

Russia is preparing a massive provocation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). They plan to attack the plant and claim Ukraine was responsible. After, Russia will announce that the attack resulted in a leak of radioactive materials. To cover up the operation, Russia disrupted a planned rotation of International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring staff that should have happened today.

As my source pointed out, this announcement may be enough to prevent the whole thing. The government doesn’t often put out such claims, but a few have amounted to nothing. So maybe these were nothing in the first place, or plans were halted by making them public. It’s hard to put anything past Russia at this point.