The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine has come under renewed attacks, raising serious safety concerns according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). On [insert date], an explosion occurred near the facility, reportedly caused by a drone carrying explosives, as stated by IAEA experts on the ground.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi expressed deep concern over the escalating dangers to nuclear safety at the site, urging all parties to exercise restraint. The area surrounding the power plant has seen intense fighting in recent weeks, and there are no signs of a decrease in hostilities despite calls for calm.
Russia has accused Ukraine of dropping explosives near the occupied plant, which has been under Russian control since March 2022. Grossi emphasized that while nuclear plants are designed to withstand technical failures and extreme external conditions, they are not built to endure direct military attacks.
In addition to the situation at Zaporizhzhia, the Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom has alerted Grossi about deteriorating conditions at the Kursk nuclear power plant in Russia, citing daily air raid alarms due to the perceived threat of Ukrainian attacks. Recent reports indicate that parts of missiles have been found on the grounds of the Kursk facility.
Fighting continues in other war-torn areas, with Russian military claims of shooting down five Ukrainian drones over Kursk, Belgorod, and Rostov regions. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported renewed shelling of the capital, Kyiv, with air defenses intercepting incoming missiles, marking the third attack in August alone.