MELITOPOL, June 23. /TASS/. The Ukrainian secret services can stage any provocation at the Zaporozhye NPP whatever scenario the West may plot for them, Renat Karchaa, an adviser to the CEO of the Rosenergoatom concern, told TASS while commenting on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's allegations that Russia was plotting a terrorist act at the Zaporozhye NPP involving a radiation leak.

"Ukraine is capable of staging any provocation, whatever scenario may be devised by its Western patrons. The Ukrainian regime does not stop at any lies. The same applies to its ring-leader, who calls himself president," Karchaa said.

He also pointed out that claims by the chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Kirill Budanov, to the effect Russia had allegedly planted mines in the cooling pond of the ZNPP were refuted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"Even IAEA inspectors, who usually stayed silent while disinformation was pouring out of Kiev like rain have already denied this.

Asked whether such a provocation was possible during the negotiations between IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi and the head of the Rosatom corporation, Alexey Likhachev, in Kaliningrad, Karchaa agreed that it was possible "at any time."

"But we have confidence in our military, in their professionalism, courage and ability to repel any enemy strike," he stressed.

As follows from Grossi's June 21 statement on the situation in Ukraine, uploaded to the agency's website, the IAEA delegation during its visit to the Zaporozhye NPP found no mines.

At the same time, the document points out that the IAEA is aware of the previous instances of mines being planted both outside the Zaporozhe NPP and at certain places inside it, which was done, according to explanations provided by the NPP’s security officers, for defensive purposes. According to the IAEA's assessment, although the presence of explosive devices does not meet the existing standards, the basic safety functions of the ZNPP would not be significantly affected, Grossi's statement indicated.

Earlier, Zelensky said he had notified the United States, Brazil, India, China, countries in Europe, East and Africa about Russia’s alleged preparations for a terrorist attack resulting in a radiation leak at the Zaporozhye NPP. He published his video message just hours after the news reports Grossi was to visit Russia on June 23. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed Zelensky’s claims as a lie.