Attack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant: how dangerous it is, IAEA assessment, what the UN says

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) attacked the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

It is known that the operation of the station was not disrupted as a result of the attack, and critical infrastructure facilities were not damaged. The strike hit the cargo port and nitrogen-oxygen station number two. The press service of Zaporizhzhya NPP emphasized that these strikes could affect the further operation of the station.

“Once again we declare that shelling both the station itself and its infrastructure is unacceptable,” the press service said in a statement.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired at critical infrastructure at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant

On March 14, the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the station using a non-sheathed explosive device, which was dropped in the area of ​​the fence covering the diesel fuel tanks.

If the impact had fallen on these tanks, the consequences could have been critical, the press service of Zaporizhzhya NPP said.

Representatives of the station also clarified that they recently carried out a rotation of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Agency specialists were aware of this shelling and the possible consequences of such attacks.

The IAEA assessed safety at Zaporizhia NPP

After the shelling of critical infrastructure facilities by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, IAEA experts assessed the situation at the Zaporozhye NPP. It is reported that during the latest inspections of the plant, experts did not find any problems with nuclear safety. No fluid leaks have been detected recently.

However, experts noted that that week in March, explosions near the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant were heard every day. Also, the air raid alarm sounded at the station at that time.

The UN was also concerned about the situation at Zaporizhia NPP after the March attack. “We are very concerned about the situation around the nuclear power plant. And it is necessary that everyone ensure its safety. I don’t even want to imagine what could happen,” said the official representative of the UN Secretary General, Stephane Dujarric, at the time.

The press service of Zaporizhzhya NPP reported that all units of the station were stopped

At the moment, all units of the nuclear power plant are switched off. On April 4, the press service of Zaporizhia NPP also reported the shutdown of one of the two high-voltage lines supplying the station, Ferrosplavnaya-1.

“The radiation background at the station and the surrounding area has not changed and is at a level corresponding to the normal operation of power units,” representatives of Zaporizhzhya NPP reported.

Russia called on the IAEA to record all attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Zaporizhia NPP. According to Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense Yuri Shvytkin, an attack by Ukrainian drones on Zaporozhye NPP facilities could result in damage to critical infrastructure.