Joe McConnell
The nuclear safety situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Russian-occupied Ukraine is deteriorating, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said, following a drone strike near the site’s perimeter.
Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said he was “extremely concerned” and called for “maximum restraint on all sides” to protect the plant.
The agency said the impact occurred on a road just outside the facility, near major irrigation ponds and about 100 meters from the only remaining power line.
The facility was seized by Russian forces at the beginning of the war and has since been subjected to repeated attacks, for which both sides have claimed responsibility.
Last week, Kiev and Moscow They traded blame after a fire broke out in one of the plant’s cooling towers.
The IAEA did not say who carried out Saturday’s attack, but its team based in Zaporizhia said the damage appeared to have been caused by a drone carrying an explosive.
“The team heard frequent explosions, repeated heavy machine gun, rifle and artillery fire at various distances from the facility,” the agency said in a statement.
The plant has not produced power for more than two years and all six reactors have been in cold shutdown mode since April.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022 and has recently been making slow progress in seizing more territory in eastern Ukraine.
However, she was shocked when Ukrainian troops penetrated into the Kursk region, where they had consolidated positions for nearly two weeks.
Thousands of Russians have been evacuated from the area.
On Sunday, Ukrainian Air Force chief Mykola Oleshchuk said his forces had destroyed a second bridge in the Kursk region, “depriving the enemy of its logistical capabilities.”
Earlier this week, Ukraine destroyed a bridge over the Seym River, which the Kremlin used to supply its troops.
This is the first time since World War II that foreign troops have arrived on Russian soil.
