The Zaporizhzhia plant has been controlled by Russia since early 2022.
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog on Saturday warned that the safety situation at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is “deteriorating” following a drone strike over the past weekend.
The plant has been controlled by Russia since the early days of the Ukraine war, in March 2022. Last week, both Russia and Ukraine blamed each other for a fire and alleged drone strike at the power plant, although the U.N. watchdog at the time said that there was “no impact reported.”
But on Saturday, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a news release that his office is reporting “an escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant” after a drone strike hit the road near the plant on Saturday.
“I remain extremely concerned and reiterate my call for maximum restraint from all sides and for strict observance of the five concrete principles established for the protection of the plant,” he said.
According to the release, an explosive carried by a drone detonated near the plant’s protected area, close to a cooling water sprinkler and about 350 feet from the lone