MOSCOW: The Kremlin warned Wednesday that Kyiv could be preparing a provocation at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, a flashpoint of concern in the conflict in Ukraine.

“The situation is quite tense because the threat of sabotage from the Kyiv regime is really high — sabotage that could have catastrophic consequences,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

The comments come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that Russia was planning “dangerous provocations” at plant, the largest in Europe.

Russia and Ukraine have regularly accused each other of putting the plant’s safety at risk since the Kremlin launched large-scale hostilities in Ukraine last February.