Ukrainian attack on nuclear power plant foiled – Russian MOD

Ukraine attempted to strike the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant with eight drones on Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry has claimed. Officials added that all incoming UAVs had been shot down by air defenses.

In a statement on Monday, the ministry accused the Ukrainian military of continuously attempting to cause an “industrial disaster at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant,” which is located in the Russian-controlled part of the eponymous region. 

“On January 5, the Ukrainian Armed Forces undertook yet another attempt to attack [the facility]… with eight fixed-wing unmanned aerial strike vehicles,” the message detailed. It added that Russian air defenses had destroyed all the drones.

The statement added that one of the intercepted UAVs had landed on the rooftop of one of the facility’s buildings, exploding on impact. A fire ensued, though the incident did not result in any casualties or material damage, the ministry stated.   

According to the ministry, the nuclear power plant continues to operate normally.

Advancing Russian forces captured the largest nuclear plant in Europe in the early days of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. 

With the front line not far from the facility, Moscow and Kiev have on multiple occasions accused each other of targeting the power plant. An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission is present there to monitor the situation.

Speaking at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in September 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of “very dangerous terrorist acts” being perpetrated by Kiev’s forces against the facility.

Several days prior to the incident, UN inspectors said their work at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant had been interrupted by drone threats at least twice over a span of ten days.

Members of the IAEA’s permanent mission had heard “explosions and other indications of military activities, at times near the plant itself,” the agency said.