Russians spreading fake news about Ukraine's alleged plans to attack ZNPP with drones - intel

The Russians have begun to spread misleading information on social media alleging that Ukraine may attack the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant with drones on the night of July 4 to July 5.

Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, said this in a comment to Ukraine's Channel 24, Ukrinform reports.

He said that new Russian falsehoods about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP are a "primitive and lying psychological operation." The reports that Ukraine can allegedly attack the ZNPP with drones are, of course, untrue. Yusov said that such disinformation is related to several aspects.

On the one hand, it is a response to Ukraine's broad information campaign worldwide to highlight the crimes committed by Russian invaders at the Zaporizhzhia NPP and other critical infrastructure facilities. In addition, Ukraine constantly highlights the facts that may indicate that Russia is preparing for another terrorist attack, as was the case with the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant.

However, on the other hand, according to Yusov, such information campaigns and psychological operations can really be conducted as preparation and information cover for real terrorist actions.

"But at the moment, we are not observing any significant changes at the station. However, it is worth emphasizing that the station continues to be under the control of the occupiers. It is illegally occupied, a number of facilities at the station have been mined, and yes, there is a risk that the terrorist state may resort to escalation and complete preparations for a terrorist attack. But at the moment, we are talking about increasing the degree of nuclear blackmail, carrying out a psychological operation in order to sow panic in Ukrainian society and demoralize Ukrainian defenders," Yusov said.

In addition, the intelligence said that Russia had taken away some of the Rosatom personnel who worked at the ZNPP.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that Russia had technically prepared everything for a local explosion at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and could carry it out in order to stop Ukrainian counter-offensive operations and put political pressure on Kyiv through some partners.