The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has requested access to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine after a reported drone strike on the Russian-occupied facility.

The UN nuclear watchdog said it was informed by the plant – currently under Kremlin-installed management – that a drone struck a turbine building in the complex, reportedly leaving a hole in its wall.

On Saturday, Russia’s state nuclear energy company, Rosatom, claimed that a Ukrainian drone had hit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which was captured by Russian forces ​in March 2022.

“This afternoon, a Ukrainian kamikaze combat drone ​struck the turbine hall building of Power Unit No. ​6, ‌resulting in a subsequent detonation,” Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said in a statement, calling the incident ‘deliberate’.

“The explosion caused no damage to the primary equipment; however, it ‌tore a hole in the turbine hall wall,” he added.

Ukraine’s military denied attacking the site, calling Moscow’s claims ‘yet another propaganda ploy’.

“Ukrainian servicemen act strictly within the international humanitarian law and are fully aware of the consequences ⁠of ​any actions targeting nuclear facilities,” the military ​said in its statement.

“At the relevant section of the front line, there ​was no active fighting during ‌the incident, and no weapons were used,” the statement added.

Zaporizhzhia is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. It has a capacity of nearly 6,000 megawatts and six reactors, all of which have been shut down for safety since it came under Russian control.

What has the IAEA said?

IAEA head ‌Rafael ​Grossi expressed serious concern about the reported incident, the agency said in a statement posted on X.

“Attacking nuclear sites is like playing with fire,” it cited Grossi as saying and further added that an IAEA team at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has requested access to ‘examine the affected turbine building first-hand’.

The agency said it would be the first drone attack within the plant site’s perimeter since April 2024.

DW