Russian drone explodes close to Ukrainian nuclear plant, IAEA issues warning
Photo: Drones damaged the nuclear plant's power line (Getty Images)
A Russian drone that was shot down exploded about 800 meters from the perimeter of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant. The incident has raised concerns at the IAEA.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi received information about the drone explosion near the South Ukraine NPP from the agency's team stationed at the facility.
According to Grossi, the team, staying in accommodations near the plant, heard gunfire and explosions around 1:00 a.m. local time on September 25. In the morning, experts visited the crash site of one of the drones and found a crater measuring four square meters and about one meter deep.
"Once again, drones are flying far too close to nuclear power plants, putting nuclear safety at risk. Fortunately, last night’s incident did not result in any damage to the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant itself. Next time we may not be so lucky," Grossi said.
It is known that the explosion damaged nearby metal structures and broke car windows. A 150-kilovolt power line was also damaged. Since it was not connected to the plant, nuclear safety was not affected.
No injuries have been reported.
The IAEA Director General called on both sides to exercise maximum military restraint around all critical nuclear facilities.
It is worth noting that 22 drones were detected in the monitoring zone that same day, some approaching within about 500 meters.
The South Ukraine NPP is one of Ukraine's three operational nuclear power plants. Currently, all three of its reactors are running at full capacity.
Earlier, the IAEA also reported drones circling near the South Ukraine NPP. The drones were observed for three nights over the course of a week, flying just a few kilometers from the plant.
Meanwhile, at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, a blackout has been ongoing for the second consecutive day due to enemy actions.
On September 23, another provocation by Russia damaged the power line supplying the ZNPP from Ukraine’s energy grid.
According to Energoatom, such blackouts constitute a serious violation of normal operating conditions, as they can potentially lead to accidents.
