'Russia trying nuke blackmail by burning radioactive forests, using artillery on storage'

Russia is working on two options for nuclear blackmail and in any case intends to blame Ukraine, a top intelligence official in Kyiv has said.

"We have information about the development of two options. Which one they choose depends entirely on them. The first is large-scale burning of radioactive forests, a radioactive cloud will rise immediately and go in the direction of the wind. The second is the use of artillery on nuclear storage," Ukrinform quoted Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, as saying.

"The result will be the same. In the first case, in the second case, the Russian leadership aims to blame Ukraine, and its 'Nazi, neo-Nazi' formations, which do not really exist here," Budanov said.

He reminded that this was not the first time that Russia resorted to nuclear blackmail.

According to Budanov, there was already deliberate Russian shelling of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, as well as a missile strike on the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology, which houses an experimental nuclear reactor.

"It's all about intimidation. Now the Russian leadership understands that their plans for a quick campaign have failed, and they are turning to nuclear blackmail," he said.

Budanov further stressed that in any case, no matter what scenario the Russian leadership favours, it will be nuclear terrorism, ecocide and environmental catastrophe, which will affect both Europe and Russia, with Belarus and Ukraine suffering the most.