Russia plots major strike on Europe's largest nuclear plant power lines: source

Russia is preparing to people Europe's biggest atomic powerfulness plant's powerfulness lines successful a determination that could unfold wrong days, according to a root acquainted with the matter.

Ukrainian officials had said Moscow's program was focused connected high-voltage transmission infrastructure alternatively than nonstop strikes connected atomic reactors, but a root has since claimed the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lines (ZNPP) are Moscow’s focus.

In a connection released Jan. 17, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry (HUR) had warned that Russia was weighing attacks connected substations captious to atomic powerfulness generation.

"In bid to unit Ukraine to motion unacceptable surrender demands to extremity the war, the aggressor authorities Russia is considering the enactment of attacking strategical facilities of our state's vigor strategy — we are talking astir energy transmission substations that guarantee the cognition of Ukrainian atomic powerfulness plants."

US ACCUSES RUSSIA OF 'DANGEROUS AND INEXPLICABLE ESCALATION' IN UKRAINE WAR DURING PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been nether Russian concern since March 2022. (Ed Ram/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

"The menace is astatine ZNPP," a root told Fox News Digital. "There are talks of a monolithic onslaught either contiguous oregon successful the coming nights," the root said connected information of anonymity, adding that "the talks wrong the Ukrainian authorities are astir ZNPP and the lines, and these talks person not been for the archetypal time."

According to The Associated Press, Russia besides targeted vigor infrastructure successful Odesa portion overnight Sunday, according to Ukraine’s Emergency Service.

ZNPP is located successful confederate Ukraine and consists of six VVER-1000 pressurized h2o reactors, and has been nether Russian concern since March 2022, according to reports.

Although the reactors are nary longer producing electricity, the works needs outer powerfulness to support cooling and information systems. 

The IAEA has repeatedly warned that disruptions to off-site powerfulness supplies and lines airs a superior atomic information risk.

A Jan. 16 localized ceasefire was agreed betwixt Russia and Ukraine for repairs nether IAEA coordination connected 1 backup powerfulness enactment astatine ZNPP that had already been damaged.

In a statement, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said Jan. 16: "The IAEA continues to enactment intimately with some sides to guarantee atomic information astatine the ZNPP and to forestall a atomic mishap during the conflict. This impermanent ceasefire, the 4th we person negotiated, demonstrates the indispensable relation that we proceed to play."

"A deterioration of Ukraine’s powerfulness grid from persistent subject enactment has nonstop implications connected the atomic information of its atomic facilities," Grossi said.

"Russia is said to beryllium going to bash this strike, possibly adjacent tonight," the root said of the ZNPP operation.

RUSSIA FIRES NEW BALLISTIC MISSILE AT UKRAINE, KILLING AT LEAST FOUR

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly acceptable his sights connected Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lines, according to a source. (Ramil Sitdikov / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

"Information besides from the Ukrainian Parliament and Ukrainian Security Service, oregon internally, is that the Russian service told the Ukrainian service that if they don't halt shelling their tankers successful the oversea oregon shelling their lipid refineries, arsenic good arsenic their electrical stations similar powerfulness stations," the root said, "then they volition afloat destruct Kyiv vigor facilities aswell."

"The parliament knows this. But we support shelling," the root added.

"This is simply a precise hard situation," the root continued, saying Ukrainian leadership, the Ukrainian parliament and "obviously the bureau of the president" are afloat alert that "if we support shelling Russian tankers and lipid refineries, past they volition destruct everything that we have."

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy besides precocious urged NATO allies to urgently present further air-defense missiles, informing that immoderate systems are moving debased connected ammunition, according to reports.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"To really sphere the vigor successful the state erstwhile it is minus 20 extracurricular and radical are virtually suffering hugely," the root added. "People don't person electricity, don't person warmth and immoderate don't adjacent person water."

"And this is simply a precise arguable situation," the root said, "particularly for the Ukrainian radical sitting inside, bare and freezing, and wide being successful this disastrous humanitarian situation."

Fox News Digital has reached retired to President Zelenskyy's bureau for comment.