Two employees at energy facilities in the Zaporizhzhia region were killed in separate drone attacks, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported. One worked at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, while the other – at the nearby Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant.
According to the agency, both attacks took place on Monday. The IAEA did not identify those responsible for the attacks and provided no further details about the victims’ identities, the locations of the strikes or the material damage caused.
Call for Restraint
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi described the attacks on nuclear plant personnel as completely unacceptable and once again called for maximum military restraint. The agency warns that activities around the nuclear site increase the risks to nuclear safety.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is located in an area close to the front line and has been under Russian control since the first weeks of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The facility is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, with six reactors, but is currently not operational.
Mutual Accusations
Since the beginning of the war, Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of endangering the safety of the plant and the surrounding area. In its latest statement, the IAEA did not endorse either version and presented only the information about the deaths of the employees confirmed by its team.
So far, there have been no reported changes in the condition of the nuclear facilities following the two separate strikes. It has also not been specified whether additional measures will be taken to protect the personnel of the two plants.
Sources: devdiscourse.com, internazionale.it