Russia accuses Ukraine of striking the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant with a kamikaze drone. “We are one step closer to an incident”
Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear company, said on Saturday that a Ukrainian drone had struck the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, but no critical equipment was damaged, Reuters reported.
The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, has been under Russian control since March 2022, and throughout the war the two sides have constantly accused each other of military actions that threaten nuclear safety.
“This afternoon, a Ukrainian kamikaze combat drone hit the turbine hall building of Unit No. 6, resulting in a subsequent detonation,” Rosatom director Alexei Lihacev said in a statement, quoted by Agerpres.
The Russian official said the “explosion did not cause damage to the main equipment” but “punched a hole in the wall of the turbine room”.
Ukraine did not immediately comment on the incident, which Likhacev claims was “deliberate”.
Occasional attacks in the area of the plant during the war launched by Russia in February 2022 raised fears about the possibility of a nuclear accident. The plant does not generate electricity, but must continue to operate to keep the nuclear fuel cool.
“We are one step closer to an incident that will most likely affect even those who live far beyond the borders of Russia and Ukraine and who still believe they are completely safe,” Rosatom's director said.
