Located in southern Ukraine, Zaporizhia is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and has been under Russian control since shortly after the start of the large-scale invasion in February 2022.
An IAEA team stationed there was informed that a drone-borne explosive device had detonated just outside the protected area of the power plant.
Appeal for restraint
The impact site was near the key cooling water sprinkler pools and about 100 meters from the Dniprovska power line, the only remaining 750-kilovolt (kV) line that supplies electricity to the power plant.
The IAEA team immediately visited the area and reported that the damage appeared to have been caused by a drone loaded with explosives.
Although no casualties or damage to equipment were reported, the road between the two main gates of the nuclear power plant was affected.
“Once again we are witnessing an escalation of threats to nuclear safety and the protection of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
“I remain extremely concerned and once again call on all sides to exercise the greatest possible restraint and to strictly adhere to the five concrete principles established to protect the power plant.”
The principles, drawn up in May 2023, state that there should be no attacks on the facility and that it should not be used as a storage or base for heavy weapons.
In addition, the external power supply to the power plant must not be compromised. All important structures, systems and components must be protected from attack or sabotage and no action may be taken that undermines these principles.
Intensive military activity
The IAEA team said military activity in the area, including in the immediate vicinity of the power plant, has been intense over the past week. The experts reported hearing frequent explosions, repeated heavy machine gun and rifle fire, and artillery from different distances.
On August 10, authorities at the Zaporizhia plant informed the team that the local power and water substation in the nearby town of Enerhodar, where most of the employees live, had been hit by artillery.
The attack caused two transformers to fail, resulting in a power outage throughout the city. The water supply had to be provided by diesel generators. The power supply was restored the next day.
The IAEA also reported that a major fire in one of the nuclear power plant’s cooling towers earlier this week caused significant damage, although there was no immediate threat to nuclear safety.
A “fragile situation”
The UN agency is also present at the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and southern Ukraine nuclear power plants, as well as at Chernobyl. Teams reported frequent air raid warnings and drone attacks this week.
“Nuclear power plants are designed to withstand technical or human errors as well as external events, even extreme ones. However, they are not built to withstand a direct military attack, nor are they intended to, just like any other energy facility in the world,” Grossi said.
“This latest attack underscores the vulnerability of such facilities in conflict zones and the need to continue to monitor the fragile situation.”
Developments in Russia
The attack came as Ukrainian forces continued their incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, which began earlier this month.
The IAEA recently stated that it was monitoring reported military activities in the vicinity of the Kursk nuclear power plant.
Mr Grossi also continued discussions this week on recent events in Russia, “including the proximity of military actions to an important and operating nuclear power plant.”
He also expressed his willingness to assess the situation, including by visiting the plant.
