Defense Ministry says 8 drones downed, no casualties at plant, radiation levels normal
Russia claimed on Monday that Ukraine conducted a drone attack against the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the nearby town of Enerhodar.
A statement by the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that Ukraine's military carried out the attack on the power plant and the nearby town on Sunday with eight drones, which it claimed were all downed by Russian air defense systems.
“When one of the downed drones fell, it exploded and caught fire on the roof of the training center of the Zaporizhzhia NPP,” the statement further said, indicating there were no casualties at the plant and that radiation levels are normal.
Moscow's statement came a day after Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that IAEA staff at the nuclear power plant heard two loud explosions.
In a statement, Grossi said the agency has not yet been able to confirm any impact, but that it is aware of the reports regarding the training center, and that the IAEA team present also reported hearing machine gun fire coming from the site “on multiple occasions.”
“An attack on any nuclear power plant is completely unacceptable,” Grossi said, calling for “maximum restraint” to avert dangers to the plant's safety.
Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on the claims.
Since Sept. 1, 2022, IAEA personnel have been present at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest and one of the world's 10 biggest, which has been under Russian control since March 2022.
Concerns persist over a possible nuclear disaster between Moscow and Kyiv, both of which have frequently accused each other of attacks around the facility.
