The UN nuclear watchdog warned on Saturday that the security situation at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was “deteriorating” after a nearby drone attack.
Earlier on Saturday, Russia accused Ukraine of dropping explosives on a road near the occupied plant in southern Ukraine.
The plant, which was seized by Russian forces early in the war, has been repeatedly attacked, with both sides blaming each other for it.
Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were informed of the explosion near essential plant facilities on Saturday and immediately visited the area, the agency said in a statement.
He said the damage “appears to have been caused by a drone equipped with explosives,” which impacted the road between the plant’s two main gates.
“Once again we are witnessing an increase in the nuclear safety and security threats facing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said in a statement.
“I am extremely concerned and reiterate my call for all parties to exercise maximum restraint,” he said.
The statement said the “nuclear safety situation” at the plant was deteriorating.
It said the IAEA team had reported “intense” military activity in the area last week, including very close to the plant.
“The team heard continuous explosions, heavy machine gun and rifle fire, and artillery fire at various distances from the plant,” it said.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the IAEA has repeatedly urged restraint and said it fears reckless military action could lead to a major nuclear accident at the plant.
Kiev and Moscow traded blame after a fire broke out in the plant’s cooling tower last weekend.
According to the Vienna-based IAEA, IAEA experts were able to visit the base of the cooling tower, but have requested further access to assess the situation.
The agency said the fire caused “substantial damage” but posed no immediate threat to nuclear safety.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
