Russia manipulates Chernobyl claims to blame Ukraine

Russia is once again trying to shift responsibility for threats to nuclear safety onto Ukraine, spreading fake narratives about alleged “preparation of provocations” at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation.

Russian propaganda resources distort the statements of the Chernobyl NPP management and silence the key fact – it is the Russian shelling that creates real risks for nuclear safety. In the publications, the Ukrainian side’s warnings are presented as an alleged “preparation of a provocation by Kyiv.”

The director of the Chernobyl NPP, Sergey Tarakanov, emphasized in an interview with Agence France-Presse that another blow to the outer radiation shell could lead to the collapse of the internal structure of the shelter.

The CPD notes that Russian propaganda deliberately distorts these words. At the same time, the enemy ignores the fact that a new safe shelter built in 2017 was damaged. On February 14, 2025, a Russian drone hit the sarcophagus, resulting in a hole about six meters in diameter.

The goal of this information campaign is to create an information alibi for the Russian Federation, discredit Ukraine, absolve itself of responsibility for nuclear risks, and intimidate the international community.

As previously reported, Russia has issued a license to operate the first power unit of the temporarily occupied Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant for a period of 10 years.

Recall that the new safe confinement at the Chernobyl NPP lost its basic safety functions, including the ability to contain radiation, after being seriously damaged by a Russian drone strike in February 2025.

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