'Next time, we may not be so lucky' — IAEA reports drone explosion near South Ukraine nuclear plant
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A drone exploded about 800 meters (0.5 miles) from the perimeter of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant after being shot down on Sept. 25, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported.
The plant, located near Pivdennoukrainsk in Mykolaiv Oblast, is the second largest of Ukraine's five nuclear stations. It operates three reactors, all of which are currently running at full capacity.
According to the IAEA team stationed at the facility, 22 drones were observed in the area between late Sept. 24 and the early hours of Sept. 25. Some approached within 500 meters (0.3 miles) of the plant.
"Last night's incident did not result in any damage to the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant itself," IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said. "Next time, we may not be so lucky."
Grossi did not specify who the drone belonged to, but Russia launches kamikaze attack drones at Mykolaiv Oblast and the rest of Ukraine on a near-nightly basis.
The observers reported hearing gunfire and explosions from their accommodations and later inspected the site of one downed drone, where they found a crater four meters (13 feet) wide.
Nearby vehicles had shattered windows, metal structures were struck by shrapnel, and a 150-kilovolt regional power line was damaged during the Russian drone attack.
The line was not connected to the nuclear facility and did not affect its safety systems.
The incident comes as Ukraine's state nuclear agency Energoatom reported that the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been without external power for more than two days.
Russian forces struck a power line on Sept. 23, cutting the final functioning link to Ukraine's grid. The facility has since relied on backup diesel generators to maintain critical safety functions.
Grossi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Sept. 25.
While posing an ongoing threat to nuclear safety, Putin nevertheless claimed that Russia "cooperates with the agency, striving to provide all possible assistance in addressing the global and important tasks."
