IAEA Warns Drone Attacks Threaten Safety At Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant -

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned that a series of drone attacks around the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine are posing further risks to nuclear safety and security.

The IAEA said the attacks on September 19, 20 and 27 struck the nearby Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP), damaging transformers vital for supplying off-site power to the nuclear facility.

The ZNPP has suffered frequent external power outages during the conflict, making the damaged transformers critical to maintaining the plant’s safety systems.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi is now negotiating a new localised ceasefire with both sides to allow repairs at the thermal power plant.

According to the IAEA, the proposed ceasefire would be the eighth brokered by the agency to facilitate repairs and help secure the ZNPP’s off-site power supply.

The agency also reported that an attack on September 22 disabled an off-site radiation monitoring station, reducing the ability to monitor radiation levels near the nuclear facility.

Other attacks reportedly struck buildings in Enerhodar, where many ZNPP workers live. One person was reportedly killed.

Grossi described the attacks as unacceptable and called for their immediate cessation.

“Attacks endangering nuclear safety and security remain completely unacceptable and must cease immediately,” Grossi said. He also urged all sides to exercise restraint around nuclear facilities and their supporting infrastructure.

“In order to prevent the risk of a nuclear accident during the conflict, all sides must exercise maximum military restraint near such facilities and their power infrastructure installations,” he said.

The IAEA has maintained a presence at the ZNPP throughout the conflict and has repeatedly warned that military activity around the plant and its critical power infrastructure could increase the risk of a nuclear accident.