Russia has reported that a Ukrainian drone targeted a section of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant under Russian control. Alexei Likhachev, head of Rosatom, confirmed that the drone struck the turbine hall of Unit 6 on Saturday. The drone was guided by fiber optics, ruling out accidental damage, as stated by the state-owned news agency RIA Novosti. The incident caused a hole in the turbine hall wall, but no significant harm to the main equipment.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest with six reactors and among the world’s top 10, has raised concerns for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) due to the ongoing conflict, fearing a potential nuclear disaster. Although the plant is controlled by Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it is currently not operational.

Greenpeace recently released a report indicating that satellite images revealed Russia’s construction of a high-voltage power line in occupied areas of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Shaun Burnie, a nuclear expert at Greenpeace Ukraine, expressed worries about Russia’s plans to restart the Zaporizhzhia plant illegally.

However, an IAEA official stated that their inspectors have not observed significant changes at the Zaporizhzhia plant signaling Russia’s readiness to restart it. Ukraine has raised concerns about the power line construction to the IAEA, emphasizing that it violates international law and Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Kyiv emphasized that any operation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant without Ukrainian regulatory authorization is unlawful and poses a severe risk to nuclear safety. Russia has not acknowledged the power line project, while Ukraine continues to protest against this violation of its sovereignty.