A drone exploded at the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP. The Russians blame Ukraine

A drone exploded on the territory of the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP). The Russians blame Ukraine for the attack.

The detonation was confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"I call for refraining from actions that contradict the 5 IAEA Principles and endanger nuclear safety," said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

The Russian mass media, citing the statements of Rosatom, report that today at 11:38 the first drone allegedly hit near the dining room, as a result of which three employees of the station were injured. After that, another drone apparently hit the dome of the sixth power unit of the ZNPP.

The press service of the station reports that there are no critical damages, the radiation background remains within normal limits.

"Rosatom" calls on the IAEA leadership and the EU countries to react to "the direct threat to the safety of the ZNPP and categorically condemn the attempt to escalate the situation around Europeʼs largest nuclear power plant," the Russian news agency TASS reports.

• The ZNPP was occupied by the Russian military at the beginning of March 2022 and has been operating under their control since then. The station was completely disconnected from the power grid several times. From September 2022, the IAEA mission is stationed at the station. Ukraine insists on the withdrawal of the Russian occupiers from the station. Volodymyr Zelenskyi emphasizes that while Russian soldiers are at the ZNPP, "the world remains on the brink of a radiation disaster."
• On March 7, the IAEA Board of Directors adopted a resolution calling on Russia to immediately return control of the Zaporizhzhia NPP to Ukraine.