Officials state employee at Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant assaulted by Ukrainian drone
(MENAFN) Workers at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), the largest nuclear facility in Europe, were attacked by a Ukrainian drone just hundreds of meters from the reactor units, according to a statement from the plant’s management on Friday.
The ZNPP, under Russian control since March 2022 after a local referendum integrated the region into Russia, has repeatedly been at the center of hostilities. Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of jeopardizing the plant’s safety throughout the ongoing conflict.
The latest incident occurred near the plant’s hydraulic facilities, roughly 350-400 meters from the reactors. The drone damaged a service vehicle, but no injuries were reported. Workers clearing debris from the water intake canal managed to seek cover before the explosion. The plant stressed that operations remain secure and safety protocols are fully in place.
ZNPP management condemned the strike as a “terrorist act,” calling it an unprecedented attack on civilian nuclear staff and labeling it evidence of Kiev’s “inhumanity.”
Moscow has repeatedly accused Ukraine of committing acts of “nuclear terrorism” through strikes on the Zaporozhye facility. Drone attacks on the plant have become increasingly frequent, including an April 2024 incident where drones hit areas near the reactor containment structures, even striking the dome of Reactor Unit 6.
Earlier this month, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which maintains a monitoring mission at the ZNPP, confirmed reports of gunfire and explosions during a drone strike on the plant’s training center — the fourth such attack this year.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi condemned these attacks, declaring any assault on nuclear plants, particularly Zaporozhye, as “completely unacceptable.” He warned of the potentially catastrophic consequences and urged an immediate end to such actions.
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