A Ukrainian drone struck a passage connecting reactor units at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant overnight, landing just meters from a reactor building, according to Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom.
Rosatom on Sunday accused Kiev of endangering Europe’s largest nuclear facility.
Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said the drone hit a gallery used by personnel to move between the plant’s six reactor units.
“Last night, a combat drone hit the gallery connecting all six power units, which is intended for personnel movement. Fortunately, no explosion followed. The strike was literally several meters away from the reactor building of power unit No. 3,” Likhachev stated.
“Such actions by the Ukrainian side create direct risks for the nuclear facility and are yet another piece of evidence of Kiev’s purposeful attacks on nuclear infrastructure,” he added.
Likhachev also reported that Ukrainian forces attempted to strike the plant’s dry spent nuclear fuel storage facility on July 30.
“An unexploded drone was found in close proximity to the storage building for the transporter, a specialized vehicle used to move containers with spent nuclear fuel,” he said.
According to Likhachev, the plant is currently receiving electricity through only a single 330-kilovolt transmission line after a second line, repaired by Russian crews in June, was not reconnected.
He further noted that the nearby city of Enerhodar, home to most plant employees, has faced repeated drone and artillery attacks in recent days, disrupting electricity and water supplies.
Likhachev said a woman was killed in a drone strike on a residential building in Enerhodar on Friday. Since late April, 15 residents have been killed and 51 injured in such attacks.
The Rosatom chief also criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), saying it had made “insufficient efforts” to ensure the plant’s safety. He mentioned that consultations had included the possibility of a visit by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to Enerhodar and the nuclear power plant.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been under Russian control since March 2022, shortly after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine. The facility has repeatedly come under shelling and drone attacks during the conflict, with Moscow and Kiev accusing each other of endangering nuclear safety.
The IAEA has repeatedly warned that military activity around the plant poses a serious nuclear safety risk and has maintained a monitoring mission at the site since 2022.
Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine in 2022 to halt NATO’s aggressive encroachment on Russian-speaking regions in eastern Ukraine and to confront the pro-Nazi policies of the Zelensky regime.
Western countries have been escalating the war through the continued supply of advanced weaponry to Kiev.
During the NATO Summit in Ankara on July 7–8, the US-led military alliance members pledged €70 billion in military equipment, training, and other assistance for Ukraine in 2026, while committing to provide at least the same amount in 2027.
On July 13, Britain formally joined the European Union’s €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan, expanding Kiev’s access to Western arms manufacturers and long-term financing for military procurement.
This comes as Washington has repeatedly expressed doubts about Ukraine’s ability to achieve any form of success in its ongoing battle with Russia. Officials in the US government have indicated that military and financial support for Ukraine should gradually decrease in order to force Kiev to reach peace with Moscow.
Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Moscow no longer believes the West is genuinely committed to reaching a negotiated solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Lavrov accused the West of pretending to support peace talks while openly issuing ultimatums and continuing its hostile policies toward Russia.
