Drones hit surveillance and military equipment at ZNPP - IAEA
On Sunday, three drones crashed at and near the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), hitting the surveillance and communication equipment on the top of the reactor dome roof of Unit 6 and a military vehicle.
According to Ukrinform, this was reported on the website of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“After receiving information from the ZNPP about the drone attacks, the IAEA experts stationed at the site went to three affected locations. They were able to confirm the physical impact of the drone detonations, including at one of the site’s six reactor buildings where surveillance and communication equipment appeared to have been targeted. While they were at the roof of the reactor, unit 6, Russian troops engaged what appeared to be an approaching drone. This was followed by an explosion near the reactor building,” the report says.
The IAEA team said that they observed remnants of drones at this and two other impact locations at the site. “At one of them, outside a laboratory, they saw blood stains next to a damaged military logistics vehicle, indicating at least one casualty,” the report says.
The experts reported hearing explosions and rifle fire on the site throughout the day. Additionally, the IAEA team heard several rounds of outgoing artillery fire from near the plant.
The IAEA experts said that they so far have not observed “any structural damage to systems, structures, and components important to nuclear safety or security of the plant”. However, they reported observing minor superficial scorching to the top of the reactor dome roof of Unit 6 and scoring of a concrete slab supporting the primary make-up water storage tanks.
“Although the damage at unit 6 has not compromised nuclear safety, this was a serious incident that had the potential to undermine the integrity of the reactor’s containment system,” Director General Grossi said.
He condemned any attacks against nuclear facilities and appealed to military decision makers “to abstain from any action violating the basic principles that protect nuclear facilities.”
As Ukrinform reported, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that a drone explosion was recorded on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.
Earlier, the IAEA informed that it was aware of reports and photographs related to the presence of Russian military and equipment inside one of the turbine halls of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, but the agency's experts present at the plant are not given full access to all areas of the plant.