The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Sunday emphasized that attacks on nuclear facilities are unacceptable and must stop to avoid the "very real risk of a nuclear accident."
In a post on social media platform X, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi also described the Saturday strike as a "serious incident" that endangered key nuclear safety principles.
The post said an IAEA team inspected the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) after it was reportedly struck by a drone the previous day. The team observed damage to a metal access hatch on the exterior of a turbine building, as well as debris and burned fragments of optical fibers scattered on the ground.
Based on its observations, the team concluded that the damage was consistent with the impact of a drone strike.
The IAEA said that while a follow-up inspection inside the turbine building was interrupted by nearby drone activity and gunfire, its experts confirmed that radiation levels at the site remained normal. Measurements showed no immediate radiological threat.
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom said on Saturday that a Ukrainian drone hit the turbine island of Unit 6 at the ZNPP, but Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces denied Russia's allegation. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi expressed serious concern over the reported strike, warning that attacks on nuclear facilities are "like playing with fire."
The Zaporizhzhia plant, one of Europe's largest nuclear power facilities, has been under Russian control since March 2022.
