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Russian Drone Strike Near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Site Kills Civilian, IAEA Warns of Safety Threat
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A drone strike near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant killed a civilian driver on the morning of April 27, according to a statement by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The strike hit a transport workshop located close to the plant’s site. The victim was identified as a driver working in the area at the time of the attack.
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IAEA personnel stationed at the facility confirmed the incident and said they would investigate the circumstances. The agency’s team, which maintains a permanent presence at the plant, continues to monitor the situation closely.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned of the risks posed by such incidents near nuclear infrastructure.
“Strikes on or near NPPs can endanger nuclear safety and must not take place,” Grossi said, according to IAEA.
The incident comes amid ongoing concerns over the safety of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), where disruptions to critical systems have already been recorded.
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On April 14, the plant briefly lost its external power supply, which is essential for maintaining internal safety systems, before electricity was restored within approximately an hour and a half, according to Ukraine’s state nuclear operator Energoatom. The outage was attributed to what the company described as the “incompetent actions” of Russian occupying forces.
The operator warned that continued Russian control of the facility poses persistent risks. Since the beginning of the occupation, the plant has experienced 13 blackout incidents and has repeatedly operated under dangerously low levels of external power supply.
Currently, the facility relies on a single 330 kV transmission line, while its primary 750 kV line has remained disconnected since March 24, further increasing vulnerability to future disruptions.
Recently, the United States opposed a resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency addressing attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure.
The vote, held during a meeting of the IAEA’s 35-member Board of Governors in Vienna, placed the US alongside Russia, China, and Niger. It marked the first instance in which Washington voted against a resolution of this kind.
The document stated that it “reemphasizes that attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for the off-site power supply of nuclear power plants, including at the ZNPP, represent a direct threat to nuclear safety and security.”
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