Russia is claiming that Ukraine carried out a “very dangerous” drone attack on the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. Russia alleges that Ukraine struck the plant three times on Sunday, April 7, 2024, with one drone hitting the site’s canteen and injuring three staff members, one severely. Russia also claims other drones reportedly hit a cargo port and the roof of one of the plant’s six reactors.
However, Ukraine has firmly denied these accusations, with a Ukrainian official suggesting Russia routinely fabricates such strikes. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) did confirm the physical impact of the drone attacks on one of the reactors, but stated that nuclear safety was not compromised. Still, the IAEA expressed grave concern, urging “restraint” and warning that the attacks have the “potential to undermine the integrity of the reactor’s containment system.”
The Zaporizhzhia plant has been occupied by Russian forces since the start of the 2022 invasion, and control over the facility has been a source of heated exchange and accusations between Moscow and Kyiv. Russia’s nuclear agency Rosatom called on Western nations and the IAEA chief to “categorically condemn the attempt to escalate the situation around the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe.” Meanwhile, a Ukrainian intelligence official accused Russia of “manipulating the concerns of the IAEA” and “trying to accuse Ukraine of nuclear terrorism.”
In summary, Russia is adamantly claiming that Ukraine carried out a dangerous drone attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, but Ukraine has denied these allegations. The IAEA has confirmed physical damage from the attacks, though it says nuclear safety was not directly compromised. The incident has further heightened the ongoing tensions and accusations between the two warring nations over the control and security of the critical nuclear facility.
Source Information: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-says-russia-considering-terror-attack-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant-2023-06-22/