In a statement on Monday, Russia accused Ukraine of jeopardizing European nuclear security by launching an attack on the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station with a drone that was subsequently shot down over a reactor.
Ukraine has denied any involvement in a series of drone attacks on the plant over the past 48 hours, including three attacks on Sunday, which the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has stated put nuclear safety at risk.
The nuclear power plant, operated by a subsidiary of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, reported that Ukraine’s armed forces had carried out an attack on the plant on Monday using a “kamikaze drone” that was intercepted over reactor No. 6.
Yuri Chernichuk, the Russian-appointed director of the plant, expressed concern about the potential dangers posed by the attack, both to the plant and to the surrounding area, and even to humanity as a whole.
He emphasized that nuclear reactors were never intended to be at the center of conflict.
Rosatom disclosed that Ukraine had launched three drone attacks on the plant on Sunday, beginning with an incident that left three people injured near a canteen, followed by attacks on a cargo area and finally the dome above reactor No. 6.
The Kremlin labeled these Ukrainian drone attacks as highly dangerous and warned of grave potential repercussions.
A Ukrainian intelligence official refuted any involvement from Kyiv in the strikes on the plant and suggested that the attacks could have been orchestrated by Russians themselves.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant features six Soviet-designed VVER-1000 V-320 water-cooled and water-moderated reactors containing Uranium 235.
The IAEA confirmed that its experts had verified three drone attacks on Sunday, without specifying blame for the incidents, while noting that Russian troops engaged a drone approaching the plant before an explosion occurred near a reactor building.
The IAEA refrained from commenting on the attack that took place on Monday.
“This represents a significant escalation of the nuclear safety and security risks faced by the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Such reckless attacks greatly heighten the likelihood of a major nuclear accident and must stop immediately,” declared IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi in a statement.
Grossi further emphasized that attacking a nuclear power plant is absolutely unacceptable.
In 2022, Russian forces seized control of the plant shortly after launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other on multiple occasions of endangering nuclear safety by targeting the plant. Reuters was unable to independently verify field reports from either side.
(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Angus MacSwan)
