Russia says worker at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant killed in Ukrainian strike

A Ukrainian drone strike on Monday on the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant complex killed a transport worker, the site’s Moscow-installed authorities said.

Zaporizhzhia is the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe. Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused the other of risking a nuclear catastrophe with attacks since it was captured by Russia’s forces in 2022.

“Today, a driver was killed in a strike by a Ukrainian armed forces drone on the transport shop floor of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” the plant’s press service said on Telegram.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on X its “team on the site will look into the incident”.

The agency’s head, Rafael Grossi, “reiterates that strikes on or near NPPs (nuclear power plants) can endanger nuclear safety and must not take place”, the IAEA added.

The plant — which is in cold shutdown — is close to the front line in southern Ukraine. Its fate is a major sticking point in stalled talks on ending the war.

Ukrainian state nuclear company Energoatom said Sunday that the plant’s “power transmission line was disconnected, causing the plant to switch to blackout mode” for an hour and a half.

“This is already the 15th blackout at the Zaporizhzhia NPP since its occupation. Each such incident significantly increases nuclear and radiation safety risks not only for Ukraine, but for Europe in general,” it added.

Ukraine on Sunday marked the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster, with President Volodymyr Zelensky accusing Russia of sending drones to the site that he said amounted to “nuclear terrorism”.