Russia is stockpiling corpses of Ukrainian soldiers to use in a 'false flag' attack on Chernobyl, Ukraine officials allege

• Russia is planning a "terrorist attack" on the Chernobyl nuclear power station, Ukraine officials claimed.
• Russia is stockpiling the corpses of Ukrainian soldiers to pin the blame on Ukraine, officials alleged.

Russia is "stockpiling" the corpses of Ukrainian soldiers to use in a "false flag" attack at Chernobyl, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense claimed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing a "terrorist attack" at the nuclear power station and plans to blame Ukraine, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense alleged in a Facebook post.

Ukrainian officials claimed that Russian car refrigerators were seen around Antonov airport in Gostomel collecting the corpses of dead Ukrainian soldiers.

They warned that Russia was planning a "man-made catastrophe" at the power plant and could present the dead Ukrainian soldiers as "killed saboteurs."

Following its invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces seized control of the Chernobyl power plant and 20-mile exclusion zone.

It continues to be operated by Ukrainian workers, with reports that more than 100 workers are stuck living on-site.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Wednesday that it unexpectedly lost remote contact with safeguarding systems at the power plant a day after Russia damaged a power line.

Prolonged loss of power in Chernobyl could cause uncontained radioactive leakage from the plant, officials have warned.

Ukrainian officials claimed that Russian occupiers have refused to let the facility's repairmen and engineers back on site and warned that there is only 48 hours' worth of diesel left to power the emergency generators.

The officials alleged that Russia has instead sent "Belarusian specialists" in and that Russians preparing for a terrorist attack are working undercover at the site.

The ministry did not present evidence for these claims.

The allegation comes as the White House warned that the Kremlin could use chemical weapons in Ukraine.

Russia has baselessly claimed that the US has chemical weapons in Ukraine, and White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday that this could mean the Kremlin plans on using them.

Along with Chernobyl, Russian forces have seized control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.