A fatal drone strike at Ukraine’s largest nuclear facility has raised fresh concerns about the safety of atomic energy infrastructure amid the ongoing conflict. Russian-appointed administrators at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant reported Monday that a Ukrainian drone attack killed one of their workers.
According to the facility’s management, the victim was a driver working in the plant’s transportation division when the Ukrainian military drone hit the area. The plant has been under Russian military control since early in the conflict.
“A driver was killed today when a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone struck the transport department at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant,” the post said.
International nuclear safety officials are responding to the deadly incident. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that inspectors stationed at the facility will investigate what happened and maintain their ongoing surveillance of conditions at the plant.
IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi emphasized the serious risks posed by military actions near atomic facilities. The Vienna-headquartered organization quoted Grossi as stating that attacks on or near nuclear power plants “can endanger nuclear safety and must not take place.”
