(Dan Tri) – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has condemned the drone attack on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant while Russia and Ukraine continue to blame each other.
Russian soldiers stand guard near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine on August 4 (Photo: Reuters).
`This is a significant escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of an accident.`
Mr. Grossi said, `although the damage to unit 6 does not affect nuclear safety, this is a serious incident that has the potential to weaken the integrity of the reactor control system.`
While there was no sign of damage to critical safety or security systems following the attack on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, Mr Grossi warned `no one can get any advantage`.
Russian nuclear energy agency Rosatom accused Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) loaded with explosives of targeting the nuclear power plant in the city of Energodar in the Zaporizhia region on April 7.
The IAEA said this was the first time the facility had been directly targeted since November 2022, and warned that the attack had endangered nuclear safety.
`The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant has suffered an unprecedented series of drone attacks, a direct threat to the safety of the plant,` Rosatom announced, saying `the extent
Rosatom took over the operation of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, after Russia annexed the Zaporizhia region following a referendum in the fall of 2022.
The Kremlin today said Ukraine’s drone attacks on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant were very dangerous.
Russia has repeatedly accused Ukraine of conducting attacks with artillery, missiles and drones against this facility, as well as continuously sending special forces to try to take control of this facility.
A Ukrainian intelligence official said on April 8 that Kiev was not involved in any attacks on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, and accused Russia of carrying out these attacks.
`Russian attacks, including fake attacks, in the Ukrainian nuclear power plant area have long been an act of trespass,` said spokesman for the General Intelligence Service of Ukraine Andriy Usov.