Plan to blow up Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant approved, situation has never been so severe before ― Chief of Defence Intelligence

Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Defence Intelligence, is convinced that the plan to blow up the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) by Russians has been fully developed and approved, and the threat has never been as great as it is now.

Source: Budanov, in an interview with The New Statesman, as cited by Defence Intelligence website

Quote: "The situation has never been as severe as now."

Details: According to Budanov, Russia has completed preparations for the terrorist attack on the ZNPP.

When asked whether the Russians decided to blow up the power plant, Budanov said the plan was entirely "drafted and approved." The only element missing is the order to act. "Then it can happen in a matter of minutes," he said.

At the same time, Budanov believes that "technical assets can be used to accelerate the disaster."

According to the head of Defence Intelligence, the cooling reservoir of the station was mined by Russian troops. Without cooling, nuclear reactors can melt within a period from ten hours to 14 days. He believes Russia will be able to increase the voltage in the power lines at the plant, leading to a nuclear accident at the bottom of this time interval.

Ukrainian intelligence has determined that Russian troops have moved vehicles packed with explosives to four of the six power units. It is not known whether access to these units was granted to the International Atomic Energy Agency during its visit on June 15, the newspaper writes.

According to the head of the Defence Intelligence, Russia's order to commit a terrorist attack on the ZNPP may have been caused by the defeat of the Russian occupation forces on the Left Bank of Dnipro ― Russia considers creation of a nuclear disaster zone a safeguard for the further advance of the defence forces of Ukraine.

At the same time, according to Budanov, there is a risk that the Russian Federation may cause a radiation leak at the ZNPP as a "preventive measure" to stop Ukraine's offensive operation and freeze the front line in its current form.

There is frustration in Ukrainian intelligence and government circles that the international community's response to the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam on 6 June was so muted that this could provoke further use of "scorched Earth tactic," the newspaper notes.

Background: On 20 June, Budanov said that the threat of an explosion or accident at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant existed because Russians additionally mined the cooler.

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