IAEA reports explosions and smoke at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
Photo: Explosions heard and smoke seen near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (Getty Images)
Staff of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have recorded explosions and smoke rising in the area surrounding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), according to the IAEA report.
Explosions and smoke likely resulted from an attack on one of the auxiliary facilities at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported.
According to the agency, the ZNPP team informed IAEA staff that the facility had come under artillery fire and drone attacks starting at 9:00 AM Kyiv time on Saturday, August 2, around the time IAEA personnel heard sounds of combat.
"The auxiliary facility is located 1,200 metres from the ZNPP’s site perimeter and the IAEA team could still see smoke from that direction in the afternoon," the report reads.
The IAEA noted this incident is the latest in a series of events in recent weeks and months that further highlight the potential nuclear safety risks amid ongoing military conflict at the ZNPP.
"Any attack in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant – regardless of the intended target – poses potential risks also for nuclear safety and must be avoided. Once again, I call for maximum military restraint near nuclear facilities to prevent the continued risk of a nuclear accident," Director General Grossi said.
Incidents at Zaporizhzhia NPP
Russian forces occupied the Zaporizhzhia NPP on March 4, 2022. Since then, they have stored a significant amount of weapons and equipment on the plant's grounds and in technical buildings.
By the end of 2022, all reactors at the plant were placed into cold shutdown. Currently, the plant is not generating electricity.
However, incidents on the plant’s territory and in surrounding areas continue, including fires, drone overflights above reactor domes, and disruptions to power lines essential for the plant's safety systems.
On July 19, smoke was reported near the ZNPP due to a forest fire.
On July 29, rumors emerged online of a potential radiation spike in the Zaporizhzhia region following a wind shift from the plant. However, Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs refuted those claims, and IAEA experts confirmed no radiation level exceedance at the plant.
Earlier, on the night of July 13, the IAEA mission recorded hundreds of gunshots near the reactor units, with numerous shell casings found nearby.
