The Director General of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has unequivocally condemned a drone strike on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), currently under Russian control, in Ukraine. Grossi took to Twitter on Sunday to express his concern about the risk of a major nuclear accident.
The IAEA confirmed at least three direct hits against the ZNPP reactor containment structures on Sunday, resulting in one casualty and potential damage to the reactor’s containment system. The IAEA experts deployed to the site did not identify any structural damage to crucial nuclear safety systems. However, they did report observing minor superficial scorching to the top of the reactor dome roof of Unit 6 and scorching of a concrete slab supporting the primary makeup water storage tanks.
This is the first such attack since November 2022, grossly violating the five basic principles established by Grossi to avert serious nuclear accidents with radiological fallout. Responding to the incident, the Director General made an appeal, urging military decision-makers to refrain from any actions that violate the basic principles safeguarding nuclear facilities.
Russia asserts that the drone attacks, including the most recent one and an earlier assault on April 5, were instigated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. It claims the recent strike resulted in injuries to three staff members at the plant, but did not cause critical damage. Russia also maintains that radiation levels at the plant and its surroundings remain stable. The Rosatom State Corporation, Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy organization, has denounced the attacks on the ZNPP facilities and asked that the IAEA and the EU address the escalating situation at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
In contrast, Andriy Yusov, a representative of Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, disagreed with Russia’s assertions, stating that Ukraine takes no part in any armed provocations within the Zaporizhzhia Atomic Power Plant, illegally occupied by Russia. He also called on Russia to withdraw its troops from all ZNPP facilities, asserting that this is the only way to reinstate compliance with all necessary international norms and regain control over this crucial nuclear energy facility.
Built in the 1980s by the Soviet Union, the ZNPP is the largest in Europe and ranks among the top 10 largest nuclear power plants worldwide. Russia took control of the facility shortly after the war began in 2022. Considering its geographical location and the ongoing military complications at the frontline, the IAEA has repeatedly warned about the risks associated with nuclear safety and called for restraint from the parties involved. As Grossi articulated, “no one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities.”