MOSCOW

Russia claimed on Friday that Ukrainian authorities are planning to destroy the Kyiv hydroelectric power station dam and the Kanevsky reservoir as part of "a new provocation against Russia."

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova referenced a report from the Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, outlining potential scenarios of flooding in nearby areas resulting from the destruction of dams in the Dnieper cascade.

She said in September and October 2022, the center modeled the breach of the Kakhovka dam, which then took place in June 2023 "due to continuous shelling by Ukrainian forces."

Zakharova asserted that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is planning "another cynical provocation against his own people" to create a narrative blaming Russia "for war crimes, aiming to secure further Western support and distract from Ukraine’s own activities."

Regarding the recent French parliamentary elections, Zakharova expressed skepticism about significant changes in relations with Russia, suggesting Paris now "primarily serves the interests of Washington and Brussels."

On South Korea's threat to reconsider its stance on Ukraine in light of Russia’s warming relations with North Korea, Zakharova warned that such actions would provoke a response from Moscow.

Zakharova also indicated that Russia would retaliate against Japan’s sanctions, with countermeasures that might not be "symmetrical."

She criticized Moldova's EU accession efforts, alleging that NATO is exploiting Chisinau's path to membership in the bloc for military purposes.