Russian occupiers are preparing a provocation at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant on 19 August, the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has said.
According to the intelligence, the employees have been told that tomorrow will be a "day off". Entry to the station will be closed and only operational personnel will have access.
"It is also known that representatives of Rosatom, who have been permanently at the station recently, have urgently left the site," the GUR added.
At the same time, the Russian Defence Ministry released a statement on the alleged preparation of a "terrorist attack" at the ZNPP by the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the visit of UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
"Based on the available information, it becomes clear that the occupiers, after the large-scale shelling of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, may 'raise the stakes' and stage a real terrorist attack on Europe's largest nuclear facility. Additionally, the intelligence service said that this crime will be timed to coincide with the UN secretary-general's visit to Ukraine," the GUR said.
The head of the Russian Armed Forces' radiation, chemical and bioprotection troops, Lt-Gen Igor Kirillov, said that "the issue of putting the fifth and sixth generating units into cold reserve may be considered, which will result in stopping the ZNPP.
Meanwhile, the IAEA head confirmed his readiness to lead a mission to the nuclear power plant, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the UN secretary-general to ensure safety of the facility under Russian occupation.