The IAEA observer team recorded the downing and explosion of a Russian UAV near the South Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant (SUNPP), in connection with which the IAEA published a communiqué on the agency's official website, UNN reports.
The drone was shot down and detonated approximately 800 meters from the perimeter of the South Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant overnight, in another incident highlighting the persistent danger to nuclear safety during military conflict, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said after receiving information about the incident from the IAEA team on site.
It is noted that the IAEA observer team was informed by the SUNPP that 22 unmanned aerial vehicles were detected in the monitoring zone late in the evening and early in the morning, some of which approached the facility at a distance of up to half a kilometer.
The South Ukrainian NPP is one of three operating nuclear power plants in Ukraine, its three reactors are currently operating at full capacity.
From their residence near the plant, members of the IAEA team heard gunshots and explosions around 01:00 local time, and today they visited the site where one of the drones fell and saw a crater four square meters in area and about one meter deep.
According to the team, nearby metal structures were damaged by shrapnel, and the windows of cars near the impact site were shattered.
A 150-kilovolt (kV) regional power line was also damaged, although it was not connected to the NPP and had no direct impact on nuclear safety and security. No casualties were reported either.
"Once again, drones are flying too close to nuclear power plants, endangering nuclear safety. Fortunately, last night's incident did not cause any damage to the South Ukrainian NPP itself. Next time we may not be so lucky. I continue to urge both sides to exercise maximum military restraint near all critical nuclear facilities," the agency quotes IAEA Director General Grossi.
Recall
The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is forced to operate on diesel generators due to the loss of external power supply. As reported by Energoatom, this creates a critical situation that threatens the safety not only of Ukraine but also of European countries.
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