The nuclear safety situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is "deteriorating" after reports that a drone struck the road near the facility's perimeter, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Aug. 17.
Russian state media claimed earlier on Aug. 17 that the Ukrainian military launched the drone at the ZNPP. Kyiv has repeatedly accused Moscow of using the plant as a launch site for drone and artillery attacks on the Ukrainian-controlled territory across the Dnipro River.
An IAEA monitoring team visited the impact site and reported that the damage appeared to have been caused by a drone carrying explosives. Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi called "for maximum restraint from all sides."
"Nuclear power plants are designed to be resilient against technical or human failures and external events including extreme ones, but they are not built to withstand a direct military attack, and neither are they supposed to, just as with any other energy facility in the world," Director General Grossi said.
The IAEA team said that the drone hit did not cause any casualties or damage to plant equipment, but said military activity near the ZNPP has been "intense" in recent days.
A fire at the plant's cooling towers on Aug. 12 caused "significant damage," though it did not pose a threat to nuclear safety.
Grossi said the drone strike "highlights the vulnerability of such facilities in conflict zones" and reiterated calls to adhere to the agency's five principles of nuclear safety.
The reported drone strike and Russia's allegations come as Moscow continues to spread claims that Ukrainian forces are planning to attack the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant as part of their incursion into the border region along with attacks on the ZNPP.
Ukraine has called these claims "propaganda."
"We officially refute these false reports. Ukraine has neither the intention nor the ability to carry out any such actions. Russia must stop spreading dangerous lies," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on Aug. 16.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest nuclear power station, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. Its position near the front line has led to heightened nuclear safety risks throughout Russia's full-scale war.
Alexander Query
(Updated: )
