SBU comments on dissemination of Russian IPSO on energy situation in Ukraine
26 July 2024 20:48
EXCLUSIVE
For almost a week now, the scandal involving the dissemination of information about an alleged accident at the South Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant has not subsided. The original source of this information was Russian telegram channels, and then the same information was was further disseminated by by Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the Energy Research Centre.
The Ministry of Energy denied the accident and said that this was the way the Russian IPSO works. However, when the situation seemed to be resolved, MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak returned to the topic, claiming that the Energy Minister had allegedly concealed information about the “emergency situation at the South Ukrainian NPP”.
The energy ministry reiterated that “the data on the accident at the South Ukrainian NPP is fake”, hinting that the MP had resorted to manipulation.
“Unfortunately, despite the official refutation of the Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security, Ukraine has started to openly manipulate the state of the NPP equipment. There was no power transformer outage, which was mentioned in the widespread fake news, at the plant. If such an event had occurred, it would have made it impossible to supply electricity and would have actually led to the need to shut down the nuclear unit,” the Ministry of Energy said in a statement on 26 July.
Given the situation, the fact that either Russian IPSO or manipulations regarding the energy situation in Ukraine are being spread is unlikely, "Komersant Ukrainian" asked the Security Service of Ukraine. The editorial board asked for a comment on the verification of the statements “about the accident at the nuclear power plant” by Ukrainian experts and the nature of their origin. The SBU responded with the following:
“Please note that the legislation restricts access to information on the SBU’s counterintelligence activities and, in particular, information on the organisation, plans, content, forms, methods, and means of counterintelligence activities constitute a state secret and are subject to protection in accordance with the procedure established by the Law of Ukraine ‘On State Secrets’. Such restrictions on access to information are in the interests of national security.”
At the same time, the SBU reported that it constantly monitors the information space, identifies dangerous sources of information, and initiates the blocking or removal of destructive content.
“Propaganda activities in the interests of the aggressor state may fall under the signs of various crimes – high treason, collaboration, encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine, justification of Russian armed aggression against our country, incitement to national or religious hatred,” the SBU reminded.
It should be noted that the Ministry of Energy has asked The SBU to deal with those who are spreading rumours about the accident at the PAES, reiterating that “all nuclear power plants on the territory of Ukraine controlled by the government are operating normally”.
