Putin says Ukraine staged provocation at Zaporozhye nuclear site and tried to blame Russian military

New Delhi : Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday informed his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron about taking control of the Zaporozhye and Chernobyl nuclear power plants, as well as about a provocation organised earlier by Ukrainian radicals in the Zaporozhye nuclear plant area, the Kremlin press service said.

Putin informed Macron about the provocation staged by Ukrainian radicals in the area of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and stressed that attempts to shift responsibility for the incident to Russian military personnel were part of a propaganda campaign, RT reported.

“Russian troops, in cooperation with the Ukrainian security unit and personnel, continue to ensure the operation of the nuclear power plant in the normal mode,” the Kremlin said.

The Russian armed forces also control the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in order to avoid potential provocations, fraught with catastrophic consequences, it added.

“The physical and nuclear safety of the station is well protected … the radioactive background remains normal,” the Kremlin said, RT reported.

On February 24, units of the Russian Airborne Forces took full control of the territory in the area if the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

On March 4, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced that at night the Kiev regime undertook a “monstrous provocation” at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant: first, a sabotage group opened heavy fire from small arms, and then set fire to the training building.

–IANS