MOSCOW, Russia: The UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), called on Sunday for an immediate halt to attacks on Enerhodar, a town near the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station. This appeal follows recent drone strikes that hit two electricity substations in the area.
The plant’s Russian-installed officials accused Ukraine of carrying out the drone strikes, which reportedly destroyed one substation, damaged another, and temporarily cut power to local residents. Rafael Grossi, the director general of the IAEA, did not mention Ukraine in his statement but emphasized that such attacks must stop. “Whoever is behind this, it must stop. Drone usage against the plant and its vicinity is becoming increasingly more frequent,” Grossi stated on the IAEA website. He highlighted that these actions are “completely unacceptable” and violate established safety principles.
The strikes, which occurred on Wednesday and Friday, cut power to Enerhodar for 16 hours but did not affect the power lines essential for the nuclear plant’s operations. The Zaporizhzhia plant’s Russian-installed management reported that while some infrastructure, such as the transport department and print shop, faced disruptions, nuclear safety measures remained fully operational.
Ukrainian officials have not commented on the incidents, and Reuters could not independently verify the reports. Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, asserted that the strikes showed Ukraine’s contempt for nuclear safety.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, seized by Russian troops in the early days of the February 2022 invasion, has been a point of contention, with both Moscow and Kyiv regularly accusing each other of endangering safety around the facility. Although the plant currently produces no electricity, the IAEA maintains inspectors at the station to monitor the situation.
Russia had previously launched mass attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure during the first winter of the conflict, resuming a series of attacks in March that Kyiv says have knocked out half of its energy-generating capacity.
