IAEA concerned after Russia claims Ukraine attacked nuclear plant; says attacking Zaporizhzhia is like playing with fire

Key Takeaways

• Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on Saturday (local time) expressed "serious concern" after Russia accused Ukraine of launching a drone attack on the Moscow-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in southern Ukraine, an allegation that Kyiv has denied.
• In a statement posted on X, the IAEA said that the incident would be the first drone attack within the plant's perimeter since April 2024.
• ZNPP was captured by Russian forces in the early days of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, ABC News reported.
• The facility now sits roughly 30 miles from the closest portion of the front line.
• The agency added, "The IAEA has been informed by the ZNPP that a drone today struck a turbine building at the site, reportedly causing a hole in its wall." IAEA chief expresses concern Grossi expressed serious concern regarding the reported incident, which would "endanger both the seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety during the conflict as well as the five concrete principles to protect the ZNPP, which clearly state that 'there should be no attack of any kind from or against' the plant," the statement noted.