IAEA urges restraint after Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant hit

A new drone attack on Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has raised the risk of a "major nuclear accident", the UN's atomic watchdog has warned. Russia said Ukraine was behind the attack, which it said injured three people. Ukraine has denied involvement, BBC reports.

IAEA head Rafael Grossi said Sunday's drone strike was "reckless" and "a major escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers" facing the plant. The IAEA, which has a team of experts at Zaporizhzhia, confirmed "physical impact of drone attacks" at the plant, including at one of the reactors.

“Today, for the first time since Nov 2022 & after I set out 5 basic principles to avoid a serious nuclear accident with radiological consequences, IAEAorg’s ISAMZ has confirmed that at least 3 direct hits against ZNPP main reactor containment structures took place. This cannot happen,” Grossi wrote on X.

IAEA stated that the attack is a clear violation of the basic principles for protecting Europe’s largest NPP.

“Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must cease immediately,” Grossi said.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, in southern Ukraine, is the largest in Europe. It has been under Russian control since the spring of 2022. The plant's Russian-installed administration said radiation levels were normal and that there was no serious damage. Both Russia and Ukraine regularly accuse each other of shelling the plant and risking a serious nuclear accident.