A Ukrainian drone attack on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant is a “dangerous provocation” which could lead to seriously negative consequences, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned on Monday.
He was commenting on a strike carried out on Sunday by kamikaze drones on the nuclear power station in the city of Energodar in Zaporozhye Region. Multiple explosives-laden Ukrainian UAVs targeted what is Europe’s largest nuclear plant, hitting several parts of the complex.
“This is a very dangerous provocation. The [International Atomic Energy Agency] staff who are at the site had an opportunity to witness these attacks, so this is a very dangerous practice that has very bad, negative consequences in the future,” Peskov told reporters.
The attack occurred minutes after International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) personnel had inspected the facility, according to Russia’s nuclear energy agency Rosatom. One drone struck near the power plant’s canteen, leaving at least three employees injured and damaging a nearby truck. Another exploded in the vicinity of the cargo area. The third attacked the dome above Reactor Six, Rosatom said.
The IAEA experts at the site confirmed the main reactor containment structure had suffered at least three direct hits.
Earlier on Sunday, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi condemned the strike warning that “such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident.”
Grossi said it was the first time the nuclear facility had been directly targeted since November 2022.
Rosatom took over the running of the nuclear power station after Zaporozhye Region was incorporated into Russia following a referendum in the autumn of 2022.