IAEA reports drone blast near Zaporizhzhia NPP, sparks safety fears
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has reported that the nuclear safety situation at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has deteriorated following a drone strike near the facility, informs IAEA.
IAEA representatives reported that a drone strike occurred outside the security zone of the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
The drone is believed to have exploded near the cooling ponds and approximately 100 meters from the Dnipro power line — the sole 750-kilovolt line supplying power to the plant.
The IAEA team visited the impact site and observed damage likely caused by a drone equipped with explosives. It is noted that, this time, there were no casualties or damage to the plant's equipment. However, the strike occurred on the road between the two main gates of the plant.
Grossi expressed concern about nuclear safety and urged all parties to adhere to five specific principles established to protect the plant.
"I remain extremely concerned and reiterate my call for maximum restraint from all parties," he emphasized.
Fire at Zaporizhzhia NPP on August 11
On August 11, Yevhen Yevtushenko, head of the Nikopol District Military Administration, reported a fire at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Residents of Nikopol were the first to notice the blaze.
Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the fire and stated that it was caused by Russian occupiers.
Energoatom suspects that the fire may have been caused by either the occupiers' negligence or deliberate arson. They added that no exceedances of control levels for radioactive emissions and discharges were recorded.
