Russia’s state nuclear energy company Rosatom reported on Saturday that a Ukrainian kamikaze drone struck the turbine hall of Power Unit No. 6 at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine, Europe’s largest nuclear facility. Reuters reported the strike on May 30, with Rosatom confirming the drone caused no damage to key equipment but left a hole in the wall of the turbine hall. Ukraine had not issued any immediate response to the claim.
Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev said in a statement: “This afternoon, a Ukrainian kamikaze combat drone struck the turbine hall building of Power Unit No. 6, resulting in a subsequent detonation. The explosion caused no damage to the primary equipment; however, it tore a hole in the turbine hall wall.”
Likhachev called the incident deliberate. He did not leave it at that.
“We are one step closer to an incident that will most likely affect even those who live far beyond the borders of Russia and Ukraine and still think they are completely safe,” Likhachev said.
Reuters confirmed there was no immediate comment from Ukraine on the reported strike.
The plant’s six reactors are all in shutdown and are not generating power. The facility still requires a reliable external power supply to keep its six shutdown reactors and spent nuclear fuel cool, without which a catastrophic nuclear incident could occur. The loss of cooling capacity at a shutdown plant remains one of the primary nuclear safety risks cited by international monitors.
Power supply at the plant has been precarious for months. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Zaporizhzhia plant has been reliant on its last remaining off-site power line since the 750 kV Dniprovska main line lost connection on March 24, with the site experiencing three separate instances of loss of off-site power during that period.
Saturday’s strike is the latest in a series of reported incidents near and at the facility. On May 3, a Ukrainian drone targeted the plant’s External Radiation Control Laboratory, located approximately four kilometres from the plant perimeter, according to the IAEA, which confirmed damage to the facility. Rosatom also reported a driver at the plant’s transport workshop was killed in a drone strike on April 27.
Regional and Global Impact
The strike drew immediate alarm from nuclear safety experts monitoring the facility. The IAEA has maintained a resident team at the Zaporizhzhia plant throughout the conflict, though the team has at times been denied access to parts of the facility by Russian-installed management.
The IAEA has been in ongoing negotiations with both Ukraine and Russia to secure a temporary localised ceasefire specifically to allow repairs to the plant’s off-site power infrastructure, with Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi leading those efforts. No agreement had been reached as of Saturday.
In a previous statement, Grossi said: “Yet again we see an escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. I remain extremely concerned and reiterate my call for maximum restraint from all sides and for strict observance of the five concrete principles established for the protection of the plant.”
Both Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of strikes that risk a nuclear accident at the site. Reuters said it could not independently verify Russian accounts of the attacks.
Background
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was captured by Russia in March 2022 and remains close to the frontline in the southeastern Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia region. All six reactors were shut down, though the site remains heavily monitored because of ongoing military activity nearby. Both Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of risking a nuclear accident by attacking the plant throughout the four-year conflict. The IAEA has continued negotiations with both sides to secure ceasefires around the facility for repair work, with the plant’s backup power line currently serving as its sole connection to the grid.
What Happens Next
The IAEA has said it is continuing negotiations with both Ukraine and Russia to secure a temporary localised ceasefire around the plant to allow repairs to its primary off-site power line, the 750 kV Dniprovska connection. The IAEA team at the site has been requesting access to assess recent damage at multiple locations around the facility. Rosatom has not announced any change to plant operating procedures following Saturday’s strike, stating that primary equipment remained undamaged. Ukraine has not confirmed or denied involvement in the attack, and no further official response was expected imminently, according to Reuters.
