IAEA sheds light on radiation status at Zaporizhzhia plant amid Russian fake claims

The agency clarified that inspectors visited the site after the plant's occupation administration reported damage to the exterior of a turbine building the day before.

According to inspectors, they recorded damage to a metal hatch located several floors up in the building, as well as several fragments and traces of burnt optical fiber on the ground.

The IAEA said these observations are consistent with the administration's claims of a drone strike.

Inspectors also requested access to the building's interior for further examination — it is located directly next to the Unit 6 reactor.

During the inspection, the IAEA team was instructed to take cover after hearing drones and gunfire nearby. Despite this, the inspectors confirmed using their measuring equipment that radiation levels at the site remain normal.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi described the situation as serious and one that has put key nuclear safety principles at risk.

He said that any attacks on nuclear facilities are unacceptable and must stop to prevent the risk of a nuclear accident. Grossi did not name the party he considers responsible.

Russians occupied the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in 2022.

Earlier, Ukrainian Defense Forces officially denied Russian claims of an alleged Ukrainian strike on the plant, stressing that the facility is located about 50 km from the front line and that Ukraine does not possess fiber-optic drones with such a range.

In addition, Russian propaganda circulated another fake claim about a Ukrainian strike on the plant's transport workshop, allegedly destroying buses and vehicles.

Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation called it another Russian setup aimed at justifying further terror.