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| Rosatom accuses the IAEA of ignoring Ukrainian drone attacks on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant following a reported strike near Reactor Unit 1. |
MOSCOW — Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev on Saturday accused the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Secretariat of ignoring daily Ukrainian attacks on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and nearby civilian infrastructure.
Likhachev made the statement in Moscow amid growing security concerns surrounding Europe’s largest nuclear facility.
According to him, the IAEA has limited its response to general public statements about drones flying near Ukrainian nuclear facilities without directly addressing alleged attacks around the Zaporozhye plant.
“The IAEA Secretariat is effectively ignoring daily Ukrainian attacks on the ZNPP, civilian infrastructure, and the killing of Russian citizens by Ukrainian forces,” Likhachev said.
He added that the escalation around the Zaporozhye facility would become a key topic during upcoming consultations with IAEA leadership scheduled for mid-July.
Likhachev also raised concerns about the plant’s electricity supply system. He said the facility has been operating for more than two months using only one external power line instead of two.
According to him, the situation has repeatedly resulted in complete blackouts, forcing the plant to rely on emergency diesel generators to maintain critical operations.
Likhachev further claimed that a new drone strike had occurred near the facility.
He said a Ukrainian kamikaze drone hit a pipeline running along the turbine halls of the plant before falling near Power Unit 1 without detonating.
In addition, two gas stations in the city of Energodar were reportedly struck by drones and disabled.
“Drones are targeting trucks and buses, effectively preventing the delivery of food and essential goods,” Likhachev said.
He added that the situation has created panic among residents and disrupted normal life in Energodar.
“People are afraid to leave their homes. These intimidation tactics are also aimed at ZNPP employees and directly undermine the nuclear safety of the plant,” he said.
The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant has remained under international attention since the Russia-Ukraine conflict intensified. The facility, currently controlled by Russia, continues to be one of the most sensitive nuclear security points in the conflict zone.
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