A drone originating from Ukraine has hit the turbine building of Unit 6 of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, located in Ukrainian territory but under Russian occupation, on Saturday, according to the plant itself.
"Today, an unmanned aerial vehicle impacted the wall of the turbine hall of Unit 6 of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant without causing personal or critical damage," the plant reported on social media.
The plant's management has denounced that "these attacks against nuclear facilities are extremely irresponsible and pose a risk to nuclear safety" and has warned of "unpredictable consequences" and potential dangers to safety throughout the region.
In its statement, the plant emphasizes that "all plant systems are functioning normally." "No procedural violations have been detected. The background radiation levels of the plant and its surroundings are within natural limits," the facility indicated.
The plant has specified that a technical team is already examining the affected area to verify the extent of the impact and has insisted that "the situation is completely under control."
IAEA Concern over Nuclear Safety
Later, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has expressed its "grave concern" over the drone attack, which reportedly caused "a hole in the wall" of the turbine building.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has warned that the incident threatens the seven "indispensable pillars" for safeguarding nuclear safety during the war, as well as the five "concrete principles" established to specifically protect the Zaporizhzhia plant. "There should be no attack of any kind, neither from nor against" the plant, Grossi recalled.
"Attacking a nuclear facility is like playing with fire," warned the head of the agency, who explained that the IAEA team deployed at Zaporizhzhia has requested access to inspect "first-hand" the impacted turbine building. "This would be the first drone attack within the plant's perimeter since April 2024," he recalled.