Russia: Ukraine uses nuclear power plants to stockpile Western-supplied arms

Amid an ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) says Kiev uses nuclear power plants throughout its territory to stockpile Western-supplied weapons.

"The Ukrainian armed forces are storing weapons and ammunition provided by the West on the territory of nuclear power plants," an SVR statement said on Monday.

Kiev shipped consignments of the weapons to the Rivne power station in northwestern Ukraine in the last week of December, the SVR said as an example. The facility, it claimed, was being used to store away United States-supplied HIMARS rocket launchers, air defense systems, and artillery ammunition.

Asked about the report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it demonstrated the importance of maintaining dialogue with the United Nations' nuclear watchdog. Peskov, however, added that there are currently no plans for a meeting between Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi and President Vladimir Putin.

Meanwhile, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the SVR's report.

"Ukraine has never stored any weapons on NPP (nuclear power plants) territory, as falsely claimed by Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service. On the contrary, the Russian Federation seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and keeps its military there," he said on Twitter.

Podolyak added that Ukraine remains "open to inspecting bodies, including the IAEA" and that "Russian lies are aimed to justify their provocations."

MG