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IAEA sounds alarm after alleged Russian strike near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Russian serviceman guard an area of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in southeastern Ukraine. File Image/AP
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Ukraine's largest nuclear facility, found itself alarmingly close to the chaos of war on Saturday (August 2), as Russian missile strikes allegedly hit near the plant.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Ukrainian authorities, the strikes occurred in the vicinity of the plant.
IAEA officials stationed at the ZNPP reported hearing a loud explosion and witnessing smoke rising from a nearby location.
In a statement, IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi noted, 'The IAEA team at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) heard explosions and saw smoke coming from a nearby location where the plant said one of its auxiliary facilities was attacked today (Saturday).'
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The incident, which ZNPP officials said took place around 9 am local time (0600 GMT), coincided with Russian missile strikes and Ukrainian military activity just 1.2 kilometres from the plant's perimeter. Smoke from the attack lingered into the afternoon.
Russia intensifies attacks
The strikes come on the heels of a series of aggressive military actions. Russian forces recently intensified their attacks following a Ukrainian strike on a strategic Russian air base in Siberia. The proximity of Saturday's strikes to the ZNPP has sparked international alarm, with Grossi warning of the catastrophic risks involved.
'Any attack in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant, regardless of the intended target, poses potential risks also for nuclear safety and must be avoided. Once again, I call for maximum military restraint near nuclear facilities to prevent the continued risk of a nuclear accident,' Grossi urged in his statement.
The situation grew even more tense early Sunday when Russia launched a missile attack on Kyiv, according to a Telegram post from Ukrainian authorities.
Witnesses in the capital reported a powerful explosion shaking the city shortly after midnight.
While Russia has acknowledged targeting Ukrainian military facilities over the weekend, it has firmly denied striking the ZNPP, a site that remains one of the most precarious flashpoints in the ongoing war.
The stakes could not be higher. A direct hit on the ZNPP by either side could unleash a devastating nuclear fallout, threatening not only Ukraine and Russia but the entire European region. Experts warn that such an event could trigger a catastrophe of unprecedented scale, potentially spelling disaster for millions.
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