LaurenSKahnJul 5, 2023
Anne Applebaum

Zelensky is issuing a warning. Why is there so little reaction?

"We have information from our intelligence that the Russian military has placed objects resembling explosives on the roof of several power units of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant..... Unfortunately, there was no timely and large-scale response to the terrorist attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. And this may incite the Kremlin to commit new evil.

https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1676336904285966336?s=20

Володимир Зеленський on Twitter

“Now we have information from our intelligence that the Russian military has placed objects resembling explosives on the roof of several power units of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Perhaps to simulate an attack on the plant. Perhaps they have some other scenario. But in…”

Twitter
Jul 5, 2023 at 5:43amWeb
Show threadLaurenSKahnJul 5, 2023

@anneapplebaum It's Independence Day weekend. Maybe more reactions tomorrow. Certainly, the information about the Ukranian nuclear plant is concerning.

Insofar as I am concerned, I had major surgery last week. Difficult recovery. Slowly, slowly.

Show threadTroed SångbergJul 5, 2023

@anneapplebaum I think we're already used to Russia performing any atrocity possible so there are no additional reactions left. Or do you mean it should cause military escalation?

I expect that's what Putin wants. I see no other reason for doing something like this.

Show threadDerick RethansJul 5, 2023

@anneapplebaum He's spot on though. Where *was* the outrage about the damn demolition? Or where is the warning from the West/NATO about the hint that the Russians will blow the power plant?

The replies to his tweet are also worrying, but probably a Twitter algorithmic "feature". I'm glad I don't go there so often anymore.

Show threadProtectiveHenJul 5, 2023
@anneapplebaum #Zaporizhzhia #Ukraine #Russia #PutinsWar
Show threadMatěj Cepl 🇪🇺 🇨🇿 🇺🇦Jul 5, 2023
@anneapplebaum Because normal human beings have hard time to understand how evil and inhuman Moscowian #Vozhd could be? Also, because they don’t care really that much what happens to #Ukraine .
Show threadToni ScottJul 5, 2023
@anneapplebaum @mcepl I’m a normal human being, and I care a lot.
Show threadMatěj Cepl 🇪🇺 🇨🇿 🇺🇦Jul 5, 2023
@ToniScott @anneapplebaum Sorry, bad wording, “they” in the second sentence referred more to @anneapplebaum original post and those who can make such decisions.
Show threadSozialweltenJul 5, 2023
@anneapplebaum I was surprised that I was actually able to see the tweet after clicking on your link.
Show threadJDJul 5, 2023
@sozialwelten @anneapplebaum no way I’m reading the replies.
Show threadelpolacodesplegadoJul 5, 2023
@anneapplebaum It will be interesting to see what a reaction looks like. President Biden made it unequivocally clear that a nuclear weapon would lead to Western conventional intervention. I believe that the beltway is doing some soul searching on whether the plant is to be placed in the same category as a weapon. I'd like to see if Western MoFAs are running demarches in Moscow right now.
Show threadcqd_sosJul 5, 2023

@anneapplebaum

Maybe because people are frozen stiff? Knowing how Chernobyl affected Central/Western Europe such an act of sabotage could eventually draw the continent into the conflict.

Show threadGrandpa Dave 🇺🇲🇺🇦Jul 5, 2023
@anneapplebaum An attack on the power plant would be a huge escalation from Russia. How likely is it that Ukraine would retaliate with a dirty bomb in Moscow?
Show threadKevin LeecasterJul 5, 2023
@GrandpaDave @anneapplebaum
Why are you accusing #Ukraine of potentially being terrorists?
Show threadAngelicaJul 5, 2023
@GrandpaDave @anneapplebaum 1. There's no dirty bomb in #Ukraine. Confirmed by the international experts who examined NPPs in Ukraine.
It's a part of the ruZZian #propaganda & looks like you've already been tricked. Moreover, by repeating those #Kremlin propaganda bits you're actively helping #putin.
2. Ukraine isn't the evil monster and doesn't attack civilians in ruZZia, while ruZZia does quite the opposite.
3. Ukraine has no military capacity to conduct the attack you're talking about.
Show threadolaolarollaJul 6, 2023
@GrandpaDave @anneapplebaum I can't speak for my country, but if someone blew up a nuclear reactor in my neighborhood and my family died and I survived, and I had access to a dirty bomb, I'd put that in my truck and drive it myself to the enemy's capital and blow it up or die trying brah...
Show threadNEO//LIX 🔊Jul 5, 2023
@anneapplebaum Obviously the Russians seem to not have much interest in a serious accident of a WWER reactor, of which their own Rosatom currently has several under construction in countries like Turkey, India, and China (one of the few economic success stories and important part of Russia's diplomacy). This may be why though they have directly attacked every kind of energy infrastructure in Ukraine, they haven't touched the NPPs so far, apart from securing Zaporizhzhia very early on.
Show threadNEO//LIX 🔊Jul 5, 2023

@anneapplebaum Zelensky knows very well the "fear of everything atom" particularly in Germany and uses it very deliberate in his communication, just like the Russians are using it to scare western politics by constantly threatening to use their nuclear weapon arsenal. It became a bit tedious to take either of it very seriously.

(Let's just hope my assessment doesn't turn out to be spectacularly wrong. 😬)