DISINFO: Zelenskyy will implement a nuclear provocation before the NATO summit helped by Britain and Baltic states
SUMMARY
Zelenskyy has big problems, caused by the lack of success in Zaporizhzhia. He is heading to the NATO summit with an unenviable position, and here comes the uncertainty about whether he will go or not. Therefore, in the remaining week, he needs to achieve at least some success, and it may be to cause an emergency at the nuclear plant.
It is not ruled out that British intelligence will cause a provocation, in which, in addition to Zelenskyy, Poland and the Baltic republics will participate. One form could include launching a dirty bomb or even a strike on the nuclear power plant with Tochka-U missiles.
RESPONSE
A recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative about an imminent Ukrainian provocation involving a false flag attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. This claim was neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged in the article.
There is no evidence that Ukraine is preparing any provocations at the nuclear power plant, let alone with the involvement of foreign intelligence services.
Disinformation aiming to exploit fears about a nuclear catastrophe is part of Russia’s nuclear blackmail campaign. Other elements include the Kremlin's irresponsible nuclear arms sabre-rattling.
Accusing others of “false flag operations” and “setups” to increase tensions or cover Russia’s own illicit actions are frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation techniques. Russian authorities and pro-Kremlin outlets frequently make these claims even if nothing emerges afterwards, aiming to reinforce the narrative that Russia is constantly the victim of such operations.
This is not the first time the Kremlin’s manipulation and disinformation machine has used a deep-seated and reasonable fear of a nuclear disaster to advance its political and military goals in Ukraine. Pro-Kremlin sources have previously accused Ukraine of constructing a dirty nuclear bomb or carrying out a provocation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
In fact, Russia has adopted many reckless actions regarding this facility, including placing military equipment and troops inside its premises, using its surroundings as a base for rocket and missile attacks, and interrupting its power line. Besides, Russia rejected UN proposals to demilitarise the areas surrounding the plant, as it was deliberately waging a fear campaign about the risks of a nuclear disaster in order to advance its goals in Ukraine.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the UK is supervising the preparation of a provocation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant by Kyiv, that containers with radioactive substances were delivered from Europe to Ukraine for a provocation to accuse Russia, that Ukraine is going to use a dirty bomb to accuse Russia of using tactical nuclear weapons, or that Kyiv passed from rejecting nuclear weapons to preparing a dirty bomb.