IAEA concerned after Russia claims Ukraine attacked nuclear plant; says attacking Zaporizhzhia is like playing with fire

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (), on Saturday (local time) expressed “serious concern” after Russia accused Ukraine of launching a drone attack on the Moscow-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in southern Ukraine, an allegation that Kyiv has denied.

In a statement posted on X, the IAEA said that the incident would be the first drone attack within the plant’s perimeter since April 2024. ZNPP was captured by Russian forces in the early days of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, ABC News reported. The facility now sits roughly 30 miles from the closest portion of the front line.

The agency added, “The IAEA has been informed by the ZNPP that a drone today struck a turbine building at the site, reportedly causing a hole in its wall.”

IAEA chief expresses concern

Grossi expressed serious concern regarding the reported incident, which would “endanger both the seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety during the conflict as well as the five concrete principles to protect the ZNPP, which clearly state that ‘there should be no attack of any kind from or against’ the plant,” the statement noted.

He warned that attacking a is like playing with fire, adding that the agency requested “access to examine the affected turbine building first-hand.”

Ukraine denies attacking ZNPP, accuses Moscow of nuclear terrorism

Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces, a military grouping that oversees the southern front, denied the allegations made by and accused Moscow of engaging in “nuclear terrorism.”

The group, in a statement, said, “The Russian Federation continues to use the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as a tool of nuclear blackmail and information provocations. Reports circulated by occupation-controlled resources claiming that Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck facilities at the ZNPP are another attempt to discredit Ukraine and conceal Russia’s own criminal actions.”

The group also added that members of the Ukrainian service function strictly within the norms of international humanitarian law and “fully understand the consequences of any actions involving nuclear facilities.”

Slamming Russia for illegally occupying ZNPP, the group noted that has maintained military control over the plant since March 2022 and turned a civilian nuclear facility into an element of military infrastructure. The force also accused Moscow of violating restrictions on the deployment of military assets within the five-kilometer zone around ZNPP.

Kyiv launches overnight attack on Russian energy targets

The accusations came after launched fresh strikes overnight targeting Russian energy sites. News agency AP reported that Ukrainian drones struck the Saratov oil refinery in southwestern Russia, causing a “large-scale fire.” Kyiv’s General Staff said the extent of the damage is yet to be clarified, adding the refinery was supplying Moscow’s war effort.

In recent months, Kyiv has stepped up its attacks on Moscow’s oil and facilities, arguing the energy sector both funds and directly fuels Moscow’s more than four-year-old invasion.

Ukraine’s General Staff on Sunday confirmed its forces were behind the strike on the facility in the town of Matveev Kurgan. Local authorities said a drone strike on the depot had caused a large-scale fire across a wide area.

According to its General Staff, Ukraine also struck the Lazarevo pumping station in Russia’s Kirov region northeast of Moscow, more than 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) from Ukrainian-controlled land. The station helps ship Russian oil from Siberia to .

The latest exchange of accusations underscores the continuing risks to nuclear safety and the broader escalation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, with no end in sight for the war.