Rafael Grossi, head of the UN nuclear agency IAEA, condemns a drone attack on a reactor at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, warning that this type of attacks “significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident”.
“This cannot happen”, he declares on X, adding that the UN agency has confirmed at least three direct hits on the containment functions of the main reactor.
Grossi stresses that “no one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities“, and says that this type of attack simply should not happen.
According to the IAEA chief, this is the first time since late 2022 that a nuclear reactor has been attacked in Ukraine, and Russian officials at the site say that Ukrainian military drones were used in the attack.
As I said before the @UN Security Council #UNSC and the @IAEAorg Board of Governors, no one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities.
This is a no go.— Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) April 7, 2024
Normal radiation levels
Ukrainian intelligence, however, denies any involvement, claiming instead that “Russian strikes, including imitation ones, on the territory of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant … have long been a well known criminal practice of the invaders”.
So far, no critical damage to the plant has been reported, and radiation levels are said to be normal. However, according to the Russian nuclear agency Rosatom, three people were injured near the plant’s dining room.
The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe.
