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Bus stop blast near ZNPP
A drone explosion hit a bus stop used by staff of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, killing one person and injuring 15 others at around 6 a.m. local time on Aug. 18, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on X.
“killed one person and injured 15 others at around 6 a.m. local time on Aug. 18”
The Russian-installed administration at the plant told the IAEA that 16 staff members and subcontractors were injured in the blast, while the IAEA said the plant's director described the incident as "the worst event the plant has faced."
Al Jazeera reported that a drone strike close to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in occupied southeastern Ukraine killed one nuclear specialist and wounded 17, citing Russian reports and a Telegram update by the Russian management of the nuclear facility.
The IAEA also said on social media that "No nuclear safety or security damage was reported," even as it confirmed the strike hit staff members at the bus stop.
Accusations and IAEA pressure
The IAEA urged restraint, with its director general Rafael Grossi calling on "military commanders responsible for these actions as well as all others aiming [at] nuclear power plants or their staff to put an immediate stop to these unacceptable actions."
Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces rejected Russia's blame for a June 4 strike, saying it was "manipulation and an attempt to influence the IAEA," and that "the only source of risks to nuclear and radiation safety at the ZNPP is the presence of Russian troops."
Al Jazeera said Moscow asserted on Tuesday that the drone was launched by Ukraine, while it also noted the IAEA had earlier confirmed reports that the strike hit staff members at a bus stop.
The Kyiv Independent reported that the IAEA did not specify whether the attack was carried out by Russian or Ukrainian forces, and it pointed to a similar June 4 incident described by the agency as a "heavy attack."
Nuclear risk and next steps
The Zaporizhzhia plant, seized by Russian forces a month after Moscow launched its invasion and under Russian management since, has been described as Europe's biggest nuclear plant and a focal point for global concern during the full-scale war on Ukraine.
“The Zaporizhzhia plant was seized by Russian forces a month after Moscow launched its invasion”
Al Jazeera said the plant's six reactors can produce nearly six gigawatts of electricity, and that while all of the reactors have been shut down since Russia captured the plant, a strike could cause damage and potentially serious leaks of radioactive material.
The IAEA warned that even without reported safety or security damage, the attack created "great risks to nuclear safety" and called for an immediate stop to actions targeting nuclear power plants and/or their staff.
Al Jazeera added that the Tuesday strike came ahead of a scheduled visit by IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi to assess nuclear safety, and it said it was not clear if that visit would still take place.
