Russia could spark a new nuclear accident in Ukraine 40 years on from the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, experts have warned. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued an urgent alert following a fatal incident at the Russian occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Russia‘s State Atomic Energy Corporation said a a transport worker was killed by a drone strike in an operation carried out by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Rosatom, a Russian state nuclear agency described the strike as a “great tragedy,” warning that attacks on the facility endanger both human lives and overall security. Issuing a stark warning the IAEA’s Director General said in a statement today that strikes on or near nuclear power plants (NPPs) can endanger nuclear safety and “must not take place”.
The IAEA statement said: “IAEA has been informed by the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant that a drone strike this morning killed a driver at its transport workshop in the vicinity of the plant site.
“Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi reiterates that strikes on or near NPPs can endanger nuclear safety and must not take place. The IAEA’s team on the site will look into the incident and continue to monitor the situation.”
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