Russia has reported that a Ukrainian drone targeted a section of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The head of Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, disclosed that a Ukrainian drone struck Unit 6’s turbine hall at the facility on a Saturday afternoon. The strike was deliberately guided via fiber optics, ruling out any accidental nature, as stated by the state-owned news agency RIA Novosti.
The drone explosion resulted in a breach in the turbine hall wall, although no harm was inflicted on the primary equipment, according to reports from the news agency. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, recognized as Europe’s largest with six reactors and among the world’s top 10 in size, has been a focal point of worry for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) during the conflict due to concerns about a potential nuclear disaster.
Control of the plant has been in the hands of Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, although it is not currently generating electricity. Recent observations from Greenpeace indicated that Russia was constructing a high-voltage power line in areas of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions under Russian occupation.
Greenpeace’s nuclear specialist in Ukraine, Shaun Burnie, highlighted the development as concrete proof of Russia’s intentions to restart the Zaporizhzhia plant against regulations. However, an IAEA official, responding to the report, mentioned that their inspectors had not witnessed significant alterations at the Zaporizhzhia plant indicating Russia’s readiness to reactivate it.
Russia has not officially acknowledged the power line project, but Ukraine raised concerns regarding the construction in a communication to the IAEA and its members. Kyiv expressed strong objections, labeling the project as a violation of international law and an encroachment on Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Kyiv’s communication emphasized that the construction of the transmission line signaled Russia’s attempt to restart the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant without proper authorization, emphasizing the facility’s status as Ukraine’s sovereign property. Any operation of the plant without explicit approval from the Ukrainian nuclear regulator was deemed illegal and a direct threat to nuclear safety.