Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant: International Atomic Energy Agency confirms attack, perpetrator unclear

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Russian soldier on the site of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant (May 2022)

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dpa

With its six reactors from Soviet times, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine is the most powerful nuclear power plant in Europe. The site has been under the control of the Russian army since March 2022. The reactors have been shut down, but still need to be cooled.

There had been repeated concerns about security in Zaporizhzhia. You will now receive new food. The Russian power plant management reported on Sunday that a drone exploded over the dome of the sixth reactor. On its Telegram channel, the factory management blamed the Ukrainian army for the attack. However, there were no injuries or dangerous damage, it was said. The radiation in and around the nuclear power plant corresponds to the norm.

According to Russian information, a drone hit the nuclear power plant's canteen earlier on Sunday. A truck that was being unloaded was damaged. The information provided by the Russian side could not be independently verified. She has been complaining for days about increasing drone attacks on the plant and blames Ukraine for them.

The spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, used the drone attacks to make new accusations against Ukraine. She accused Kiev of attempting to recapture the facility militarily. "We warn Kiev and its Western patrons against any attempted attacks or destabilization of the situation around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," she said.

IAEA detonates

Only the day before there were reports that the nuclear power plant had been disconnected from one of the two high-voltage lines. In this case, however, the Ukrainian nuclear energy supplier Enerhoatom has cited Russian shelling as the cause. Two weeks ago, the power supply to the nuclear power plant was cut off following a large-scale Russian missile attack.

The mutual allegations cannot be independently verified. Observers from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are stationed on the site of the power plant. The organization explained on the short message service X, formerly Twitter, that a detonation on the power plant site was "consistent with the observations" of the IAEA. "I urge you to refrain from actions that contradict the five principles of the IAEA and endanger nuclear safety," said the organization's Director General, Rafael Grossi.

According to Ukrainian information, Russia attacked the city of Zaporizhia, around 50 kilometers as the crow flies from the nuclear power plant, with a double missile attack on Friday. Four people are said to have been killed. After the first attack, rescue workers, emergency services and journalists came to the scene of the destruction. A second rocket then hit there.

chs/dpa