IAEA chief calls for restraint after three Ukrainian attacks on Zaporozhye NPP

GENEVA, August 28. /TASS/. Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi has called for the utmost restraint following three Ukrainian drone attacks on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) on August 25 and 26, IAEA press service reported.

"Director General Rafael Grossi states that any attacks on nuclear power plant facilities are unacceptable and once again calls for maximum restraint on the part of the military to avoid the risk of a nuclear accident," the agency said in a statement on X.

According to the IAEA, on August 25, a drone exploded near the plant’s cooling pond. Two Zaporozhye NPP employees were injured in the incident. The next day, another drone exploded on the grounds of the plant’s dry spent nuclear fuel storage facility. On the same day, a third drone struck a sprinkler system at the plant’s power units.

The UN nuclear watchdog emphasized that radiation levels on the Zaporozhye NPP grounds remain within normal limits.

On August 27, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Russia is calling on the IAEA to take measures against the Kiev regime in connection with the strikes on the Zaporozhye NPP. "Once again, we call upon the IAEA leadership to grasp the gravity of the situation and take comprehensive measures to exert influence of Kiev," Zakharova said. In her words, "such actions would be impossible without constant support for the Kiev junta by Western nations." "This is what instills the illusion of impunity in Vladimir Zelensky’s criminal regime and provokes new reckless acts," she added.