Following reports of a drone strike on the turbine building of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Moscow officials have warned of a potential catastrophe, while Kyiv strongly denies the claims.
The Incident and Allegations
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. On Saturday, May 30, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev reported an incident at the facility, claiming it was deliberate.
Likhachev, as cited by TASS, stated that a Ukrainian combat drone struck the turbine building of reactor block 6, causing a hole in the wall and a subsequent detonation, though no critical equipment was damaged. Dmitry Medvedev later warned on the social media platform X that damaging a turbine hall or reactor could trigger a “new Chernobyl.”
Kyiv’s Rebuttal and Strategic Context
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Defense Forces dismissed the Russian claims as baseless. The ministry questioned the logic of Ukraine attacking its own nuclear facility, over which it seeks to regain sovereign control.
Kyiv further highlighted that Russia has persistently restricted international inspectors’ access to the plant. Officials argued that these accusations typically emerge ahead of IAEA Board of Governors meetings, where the agency’s failure to recognize Russian claims over the plant poses a political problem for Moscow.
IAEA Response and Regional Risks
The IAEA has confirmed receiving reports of the incident and expressed grave concern, with Director General Rafael Grossi stating that attacking nuclear facilities is “playing with fire.” The agency has requested access to inspect the turbine building.
If confirmed, this would be the first drone incident at the plant since April 2024. Additionally, the IAEA noted that between May 13 and 14, over 160 drones were detected operating near nuclear power plants in Southern Ukraine, Chernobyl, and Rivne.