IAEA head warns that increased attacks on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant raise risk of accidents

In a shocking turn of events, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine was targeted by a drone strike on Sunday, prompting condemnation from the head of the U.N.’s atomic watchdog agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi. The attack, which resulted in at least three direct hits on the main reactor containment structures, has raised concerns about the potential for a major nuclear accident.

Officials at the plant confirmed that Ukrainian military drones were responsible for the attack, with one strike hitting the dome of the plant’s sixth power unit. Despite the assault, there were no critical damages or casualties reported, and radiation levels at the plant remained normal.

However, Russian state-owned nuclear agency Rosatom later revealed that three people were wounded in the “unprecedented series of drone attacks,” with one drone hitting an area near the site’s canteen. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been informed of the incident and is closely monitoring the situation.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been a focal point of conflict since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with both sides accusing each other of targeting the facility. The plant’s six reactors have been shut down for months, but concerns remain about the integrity of the containment system and the potential for a nuclear catastrophe.

In addition to the attack on the nuclear plant, several other incidents were reported in Ukraine and Russia, including casualties from shelling in the Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions, as well as a tragic incident in Russia where a girl died and four others were wounded by debris from a downed Ukrainian drone. The situation in the region remains tense, with no end to the conflict in sight.