Magate says ZNPP damaged after drone attack
8 April 2024 10:22
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that as a result of yesterday’s drone attack on Zaporizhzhia NPP, the plant was damaged in three places. This is stated in the official report of the agency, Komersant ukrainskyi 
reports.
According to Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), drone strikes hit the site of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) yesterday.
“This is a serious escalation of threats to nuclear safety and security at Zaporizhzhya NPP. Such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident and must be stopped immediately,”
– Mr Grossi said.
After receiving information from ZNPP about the drone attacks, IAEA experts on site travelled to the three affected sites. They confirmed the physical impact of the drone strikes, including on one of the six reactor buildings where the surveillance and communication equipment was located.
According to the report, Russian soldiers fired at the drone from the roof, and then an explosion occurred near the reactor building.
“As I have repeatedly stated, including in the Security Council and the IAEA Board of Governors, no one can gain any military or political benefit from attacks on nuclear facilities. Attacking a nuclear power plant is categorically prohibited. I strongly urge military decision-makers to refrain from any action that violates the basic principles of protecting nuclear facilities,”
– grossi urged.
The IAEA team noted a minor superficial burn on the top of the reactor dome roof of Unit 6 and scratches on the concrete slab supporting the primary storage tanks for feedwater. There are currently no signs of damage to critical nuclear safety or site safety systems.
Instead, IAEA officials have seen bloodstains on the remains of the drones, which led them to talk about “at least one loss”. ZNPP is occupied by Russian military personnel.
“Although the damage at Unit 6 did not endanger nuclear safety, it was a serious incident that could potentially undermine the integrity of the reactor containment,” said CEO Grossi.
Since the start of the Russian occupation, Zaporizhzhia NPP has experienced eight full blackouts and one partial blackout, with emergency diesel generators and safety systems being launched. According to Energoatom, their failure threatens to cause an emergency. The last time the plant faced the threat of a blackout was on 22 March this year after Russia’s massive shelling of Ukrainian energy facilities.
