The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear agency, confirmed this Sunday that the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia, occupied by Russian troops, was the subject of a “reckless” drone attack that did not compromise the security of the central.
“This is a clear violation of the basic principles of protection of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. These reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a serious nuclear accident and must stop immediately,” Rafael Grossi, director of that UN body, denounced on the social network X.
Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear energy company, had previously claimed that three people had been injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on that facility, but the Ukrainian government has denied responsibility.
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“Ukraine is not involved in any armed provocation on the premises of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant illegally occupied by Russia,” declared a Ukrainian military spokesman.
The IAEA indicated that the agency's personnel at the plant have reported three direct hits against the containment structure of one of the plant's six reactors.
“The damage to unit 6 have not compromised nuclear safetybut this is a serious incident with the potential to compromise the integrity of the reactor containment system,” the IAEA said on that same social network.
Grossi, who has been warning of the risk of an atomic accident since Russia occupied the plant in March 2022, stated today that “it is not conceivable that anyone could benefit or obtain any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities.”
For this reason, he appealed to the military authorities, without specifying which side, to refrain from carrying out actions that violate the basic principles that protect atomic facilities.
