Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after a previous strike (Image: Getty)
A strike near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine, currently under Russian control, has been reported, after Russia claimed a Ukrainian drone landed near the facility. The site has been a source of ongoing concern since it was seized by Russian forces in March 2022 following heavy fighting in the region.
Since then there have been repeated strikes in the area, with both sides in the conflict blaming each other for attacks near the facility. In a separate incident earlier this week, experts warned Russia could spark a new nuclear accident in Ukraine, 40 years on from the Chernobyl disaster. The International Atomic Energy Agency issued an alert following a reported fatal incident at the plant, with Russia’s state nuclear agency Rosatom claiming a transport worker was killed in a drone strike it blamed on Ukrainian forces. Rosatom described the incident as a “great tragedy”, warning that attacks on the facility endanger both human lives and overall security.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine is Europe’s largest (Image: Getty)
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Issuing a stark warning, the IAEA’s Director General said in a statement that strikes on or near nuclear power plants (NPPs) can endanger nuclear safety and “must not take place”.
In relation to this latest strike, 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 is Europe’s largest nuclear power station and is currently in cold shutdown.
A view of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in 2023 (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
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.
In February 2025, a drone strike damaged the protective New Safe Confinement structure at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which covers the remains of the 1986 reactor explosion.
Officials said the strike created hundreds of openings in the structure, weakening its ability to contain radioactive material.
Although radiation levels remained stable at the time, experts warned the damage posed long-term safety risks if not urgently repaired, with Greenpeace Ukraine warning the strike increased the risk of structural failure if further damage occurs.
The latest incident comes amid heightened global concern over nuclear safety, with similar concerns raised in other conflicts where fighting has taken place near nuclear facilities.