The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has requested access to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine following a drone attack on the Russian-held facility.
The UN nuclear watchdog said it had been informed by the plant, currently under Moscow-installed management, that a drone struck a turbine building at the complex, reportedly blowing a hole in its wall.
Russia accuses Ukraine of ‘deliberately’ attacking Zaporizhia, Kiev denies
On Saturday, Russia’s state nuclear energy company, Rosatom, claimed that a Ukrainian drone had attacked the Zaporizhia nuclear plant, which was captured by Russian forces, in March 2022.
“This afternoon, a Ukrainian kamikaze combat drone attacked the turbine hall building of power unit No. 6, resulting in an explosion,” Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev said in a statement. The incident was described as “intentional”.
He said, “The explosion caused no damage to the primary equipment; however, it did blow a hole in the wall of the turbine hall.”
Ukraine’s military denied attacking the site and described Moscow’s claims as “another propaganda ploy”.
“Ukrainian troops act strictly in accordance with international humanitarian law and are fully aware of the consequences of any actions targeting nuclear facilities,” Kyiv’s military said in a statement.
“In the relevant section of the front line, there was no active fighting during the incident, and no weapons were used,” the Ukrainian statement said.
Zaporizhia is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. It has a capacity of approximately 6,000 MW and six reactors, all of which have been shut down for safety since coming under Russian control.
What did the IAEA say?
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi expressed serious concern about the reported incident, the agency said in a statement posted on Twitter.
“Attacking nuclear sites is like playing with fire,” Grossi said, adding that an IAEA team at the Zaporizhia nuclear plant has requested access to “conduct a direct investigation of the affected turbine building.”
The agency said this would be the first drone strike within the perimeter of the plant site since April 2024.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico
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