Nuclear Safety Threat: IAEA Reports Explosions Near Russian-Occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP, Europe's Largest
The IAEA staff present on the occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia NPP recorded two loud explosions near the plant on Sunday, amid reports of a drone attack on the ZNPP training centre.
This was reported in a statement by the IAEA Director General on the situation in Ukraine.
‘Staff of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported hearing loud explosions near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) today, coinciding with reports of a drone attack on the plant's training centre, which has become another threat to nuclear safety at Europe's largest nuclear power plant,’ the statement said.
Two loud explosions occurred outside the plant's perimeter at approximately 12:45 and 15:45.
‘The IAEA has not yet been able to confirm any impact. The IAEA team also reported hearing repeated machine gun fire coming from the site,’ the Agency said.
The IAEA also became aware of reports of a ‘possible drone attack on the ZNPP training centre today, just outside the perimeter of the plant’. There were reportedly no casualties or injuries, and there was no impact on any NPP equipment.
On 12 December, the IAEA Board of Governors, at an extraordinary meeting initiated by Ukraine, adopted a Ukrainian resolution on the inadmissibility of Russian attacks on critical infrastructure for nuclear power plant operations.
As previously reported by The Gaze, the EU in the OSCE called on Russia to withdraw its occupation ‘personnel’ from Zaporizhzhia NPP and from the whole of Ukraine.
‘Russia must immediately cease its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and withdraw all its military and unauthorised personnel from ZNPP and the entire territory of Ukraine,’ the EU said in a statement.
The European Union noted that due to Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, the three operating Ukrainian nuclear power plants were forced to drastically reduce electricity production.
‘Russia's military strikes on 28 November affected substations used by all nuclear power plants to transmit and receive electricity, which is essential for nuclear safety,’ the EU added.
It was also noted that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has significantly increased the risk of a nuclear accident with potentially serious radiological consequences for human health and the environment, including global food security in the event of contamination of agricultural land.