Volodymyr Zelensky had attempted to use provocations at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in order to convince Western countries to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, Ukrainian Former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has told Sputnik.

On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian authorities attempted a provocation overnight by accusing Russia of creating a source of radioactive contamination at the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

While patrolling the area adjacent to the station, a group of the Russian National Guard was attacked by a Ukrainian sabotage unit who opened fire on them from the windows of several floors of an educational and training complex located outside the NPP. The firing points of the Ukrainian sabotage group were suppressed by return fire.

“Of course, it was a deliberate provocation because, first of all, no sane Russian or Ukrainian soldier would ever dare to carry out this sort of provocation on the territory of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which has six nuclear power units,” Azarov said.

He noted that “even a minor fire at the training and retraining centre was still an emergency situation at such a supercategory nuclear facility.”

“So, firstly, it is absolutely obvious that this was a well-considered provocation. Secondly, Zelenskyy’s instant reaction which was at night and his instant message to the Americans and to the United Kingdom with absolutely false information itself show that this was a prepared provocation, which he was aware of, because he used this provocation to create a no-fly zone over Ukraine,” Azarov concluded.