The nuclear safety situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Russian-occupied Ukraine is deteriorating, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog said, following a drone strike near the site.
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said he was “extremely concerned” and called for “maximum restraint from all parties” to protect the nuclear plant.
According to the agency, the strike took place on a road just outside the plant, close to the main water sprinkler ponds and about 100 meters from the only remaining high-voltage power line.
The factory was captured by Russian forces early in the war and has since been the target of repeated attacks, with both sides blaming each other.
Last week, Kiev and Moscow blamed each other after a fire broke out in one of the plant’s cooling towers.
The IAEA has not said who carried out Saturday’s attack, but the IAEA team based in Zaporizhia said the damage was likely caused by a drone carrying an explosive device.
“The team heard frequent explosions, repeated heavy machine gun and rifle fire, and artillery fire at various distances from the plant,” the agency said in a statement.
The plant has not produced power for more than two years and all six reactors have been completely shut down since April.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022 and has recently been making slow progress in taking more territory in eastern Ukraine.
Still, it was shocked when Ukrainian troops entered the Kursk region, where they had been consolidating their positions for almost two weeks.
Thousands of Russians have been evacuated from the area.
On Sunday, Ukrainian Air Force commander 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 Seim River that was used by the Kremlin to supply troops.
It is the first time since World War II that foreign troops have been on Russian soil.
