Drone Kills Worker at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, IAEA Says
A drone exploded at a bus stop used by staff of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, killing one worker and injuring around 15 others, the International Atomic Energy Agency said. The plant’s director called it the worst incident the facility has faced, though the IAEA reported no damage to nuclear safety or security. Moscow-installed officials blamed a Ukrainian strike; Kyiv did not immediately comment.
Europe’s largest nuclear plant, seized by Russia in March 2022, has been a recurring flashpoint, and casualties among its workforce mark a grim new low even by the standards of a war fought around its perimeter. That the IAEA could confirm the deaths but not apportion blame reflects how contested the site remains, with each side accusing the other of courting catastrophe. The strike lands amid one of the war’s deadliest recent stretches, with Russian barrages killing scores across Ukraine and no diplomatic track in motion. The nuclear risk, long warned of, edges a little closer each time the plant is hit. Watch the IAEA’s assessment and whether either side comes under pressure to pull back.