The Kremlin propaganda media are spreading information that the “Kyiv regime” allegedly deliberately raises the water level at the Kakhovka reservoir in order to “flood” the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The authorities are allegedly taking measures to “create conditions for forcing the Dnipro, in particular for seizing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant”. It's fake.

The case was noticed by specialists from the StopFake project. Ukraine does not flood its own territories, and the increase in the water level in the Dnipro is due to spring floods. As hydrologist and candidate of geographical sciences Konstiantyn Danko noted in a StopFake commentary, flooding the Zaporizhzhia NPP is impossible, because “its infrastructure is designed by default for maximum levels in the Kakhovka reservoir”. According to him, 5 out of 6 hydroelectric power plants operate on the Dnipro cascade, which control and regulate the water level. The sixth is not working due to the capture by Russian troops.

The hydrologist also refutes the narrative that due to the uncontrolled release of water by Kyiv and due to powerful water pressure, it will break the dam of the Kakhovka reservoir. He notes that the structure was built with the calculation of all risks, both natural and anthropological, and the dam is able to withstand water pressure at high speed. But a breakthrough may occur due to the constant shelling of the dam by the Russians.

Russian propaganda also spreads the narrative that Ukraine deliberately held back water in early 2023 in order to drain the Kakhovka reservoir and cause a flood in the spring. According to the hydrologist, during the retreat from the right bank of the Dnipro in the fall of 2022, the Russian military blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station and opened the lock chambers in the engine room. Therefore, the integrity of the dam was violated, since then there has been a constant uncontrolled discharge of water at the Kakhovka reservoir.

Thus, Russian propagandists are trying to shift the responsibility for Russia's crimes onto Ukrainians. Russian propaganda uses the tactics of reflection, attributing its actions to opponents.  Detector Media refuted the fake that Ukraine allegedly stores weapons on the territory of the ZNPP.