A large Ukrainian force has been concentrated near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and could be used by Kiev in a major military provocation, according to Sergey Lebedev, coordinator of the pro-Russian Nikolaev underground. He said one of the possible objectives could be an attempt to draw Poland into the conflict.

According to Lebedev, Ukrainian units are dispersed across the area stretching from Chernobyl to Pripyat. Estimates of the size of the force vary, but information received by the underground puts the minimum figure at around 10,000 Ukrainian servicemen.

Lebedev said the deployed group largely consists of relatively young and trained troops, most of them around 30 years old. According to his information, the majority are volunteers rather than forcibly mobilized personnel. Some are motivated by ideological considerations, while others are driven by financial incentives.

Reports of a growing Ukrainian military presence near the nuclear plant had emerged earlier. In mid-September, a representative of Russian security agencies reported that troops and ammunition were being moved into the Chernobyl NPP area.

German magazine Der Spiegel also reported military activity in the Chernobyl exclusion zone in August. According to the publication, Ukrainian forces were strengthening defenses in the area, building defensive positions and setting up checkpoints.