Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Under Drone Attack: IAEA Demands Halt

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has urgently called for an end to drone attacks near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, following reports of injuries to workers and the ignition of forest fires.

The six-unit nuclear power plant, under Russian military control since early 2022, sits on the frontline between Ukrainian and Russian forces.

IAEA experts have been stationed at the site since September 2022, and the United Nations Security Council has endorsed Grossi’s five key safety and security principles. These principles include prohibitions on storing heavy military equipment or firing weapons from the plant and on targeting the facility.

IAEA experts at the plant witnessed thick smoke and heard explosions near the plant’s 750 kV switchyard, reportedly caused by drones hitting an adjacent forest and igniting fires in windy conditions. Firefighters are working to contain the flames.

While the switchyard is outside the plant’s main site, the IAEA experts have not yet reported any direct impact on the facility itself.

Three drone strikes near the town of Energodar on July 3rd targeted an electrical sub-station, injuring eight workers, one requiring medical attention.

The IAEA was informed of an oil leak from at least one transformer, damage to the top of a transformer, and a severed connection line. The affected sub-station, Raduga, is currently out of service, but Energodar and a nearby industrial area still have power.

The IAEA emphasizes that these incidents pose an additional threat to nuclear safety, as the Zaporizhzhia plant’s sole remaining 750 kV power line supplies the off-site electricity essential for cooling its six reactors in cold shutdown and other critical nuclear safety and security functions. While the 750 kV line and a backup 330 kV line are still operational, the situation remains precarious.

Last month, Energodar, where many plant staff and their families reside, experienced a 16-hour power outage due to drone strikes on the Raduga and Luch sub-stations. Earlier in April, drone strikes also hit the Zaporizhzhia plant site directly.

Grossi expressed deep concern over the continued drone attacks, highlighting the clear dangers they pose to the people of Energodar and the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. He has called for an immediate halt to these actions.

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