A strike near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine on May 3, currently under Russian control, has been reported after Russia claimed a Ukrainian drone landed near the facility.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement: “IAEA has been informed by the ZNPP that a drone targeted its External Radiation Control Laboratory (ECRL) today. There were no reported injuries and it is not yet known if the strike damaged the lab, which is located outside the ZNPP perimeter.” An IAEA team at the site has requested access to the laboratory to assess the situation, Director General Rafael Grossi said, warning that any attacks near nuclear sites can pose serious safety risks. The watchdog said its experts on the ground are working to determine whether the strike caused any damage to the monitoring facility.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – Europe’s largest nuclear power station – has been under Russian control since the early stages of the war and has repeatedly been at the centre of international safety warnings.
Although the targeted laboratory is located outside the plant’s main perimeter and is used to monitor radiation levels, officials have stressed that strikes in the surrounding area still pose a potential risk.
There have been no reports of injuries or radiation leaks following the latest incident.
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