Kyiv Denies Rosatom Drone Strike Claim On Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Turbine Hall

A reported drone strike hit the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine, with Russia’s state nuclear energy company Rosatom saying a Ukrainian kamikaze combat drone struck the turbine hall building of Power Unit No. 6 and caused a detonation.

“IAEA chief voices concern over reported drone strike at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi on Saturday expressed serious concern over a reported drone strike on a turbine building at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), warning that attacks on nuclear facilities are "like playing with fire”

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Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev said the explosion caused no damage to the primary equipment but tore a hole in the turbine hall wall, while Kyiv denied the allegation as “yet another propaganda ploy.”

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Ukraine’s military said it had neither struck nor targeted the facility and stressed that it understands the “consequences of any actions targeting nuclear facilities,” adding that “there was no active fighting at the time of the incident, and no weapons were used.”

The IAEA said it had been informed by the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant that a drone struck a turbine building, reportedly causing a hole in one of the building’s walls, and that its team stationed at the plant requested access to examine the affected turbine building first-hand.

IAEA director general Rafael Grossi voiced “serious concern” over the reported strike and reiterated that “There should be no attack of any kind from or against a nuclear facility.”

The IAEA said the incident would mark the first drone attack within the perimeter of the ZNPP since April 2024, and it disclosed the incident in a post on social media platform X.

Global Times

In a separate account, the plant’s operational management said an Ukrainian drone targeted one of the facility’s auxiliary structures and that it resulted in minor structural damage to the building’s exterior envelope, while primary hardware or core safety and operational systems inside the facility were not affected.

The plant administration also said monitoring teams confirmed that no radioactive leaks were detected and that no technical malfunction was logged, even as both sides continued to exchange heavy accusations over responsibility.

The IAEA said its team stationed at the Russian-held power plant requested access to the affected turbine building to conduct a first-hand assessment of the reported damage, with the agency also describing the need for restraint to avoid jeopardizing nuclear safety and security.

“The International Atomic Energy Agency says it has been informed by the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine that a drone has struck a turbine building at the site, causing a hole in its wall”

Milton Ulladulla Times

Ukraine’s military framed the denial by saying it is unclear why Ukraine would strike its own nuclear power plant located on its own territory, which it itself seeks to regain under its sovereign control.

The plant’s administrative directorate said specialized maintenance crews and engineers initiated on-site technical inspections and began comprehensive evaluations immediately following the incident, while the IAEA said the incident had been reported earlier in the day.

Both the Times of India and the IAEA-focused reports tied the dispute to the wider risk of military activity around the site, with the IAEA warning that attacks on nuclear facilities are “like playing with fire” and calling for protection of nuclear infrastructure.