Russia accuses Ukraine of drone attacks on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom on Sunday accused Ukrainian forces of carrying out two drone attacks targeting the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. One drone struck an area near the reactor hall of unit three, while the other targeted the dry storage facility for spent nuclear fuel.

According to Al Arabiya, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said a combat drone struck the walkway connecting the plant’s six power units overnight. He noted the impact site was just a few meters from the reactor hall of unit three, but no explosion occurred.

Likhachev added that on July 30, Ukrainian forces attempted to attack the dry storage area for spent nuclear fuel. An unexploded drone was found near a building housing a vehicle used to transport nuclear fuel containers.

Likhachev described these attacks as posing direct risks to the safety of the nuclear facility and as a renewed attempt to target the infrastructure of the Zaporizhzhia plant.

Zaporizhzhia province has been one of the main fronts in the Russia-Ukraine war since 2022. Russia controls large parts of the province, while Ukraine retains other areas. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe and has been under Russian control since March 2022.