The IAEA has been informed of drone incidents earlier this week at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), underlining constant dangers to nuclear safety and security during the military conflict, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today. On 5 October, the IAEA team based at the ZNPP was informed of a reported drone attack on a laboratory and utility building and a radioactive waste processing building at the site between midnight and 00:30 local time. No casualties or radiation leaks were reported. The buildings are located inside the plant's protected area, approximately 200 metres from Units 4 and 5. The IAEA team requested access to the affected location to independently assess the condition of the buildings and were granted limited access more than 48 hours after the reported attack. During the visit, the team observed several piles of broken window glass, as well as broken windows on the ground and first floors of buildings in the vicinity of the reported incident. Many of the affected openings of the buildings had already been covered, either from the inside or outside. The team also observed a small area of damage to the pavement adjacent to a building, approximately 40 cm in diameter. In addition, various UAV components and debris had been placed on display at the site. While access was limited, based on the observations that were possible, the team concluded that buildings in the vicinity of the reported incident had sustained physical damage. The incident represents a further adverse impact on nuclear safety and security, highlighting the continuing risks that military activities pose to nuclear facilities and their supporting infrastructure. Separately, on 5 October, the ZNPP informed the IAEA that a delivery driver bringing supplies to the plant had been killed in a reported drone attack the previous day. “Attacks on nuclear facilities and their staff are unacceptable and in direct contravention of the IAEA’s Seven Indispensable Pilla
Save the Children UK Alumni Association
The Alumni Association of SC UK