IAEA staff at ZNPP. IAEA to maintain presence at Zaporizhzhya NPP Peace and Security
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) still intends to maintain a presence at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), despite a drone attack this week on one of the agency’s vehicles during a regular rotation of IAEA teams stationed at the facility, the agency’s Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.
The 26th IAEA expert team began its work monitoring and assessing nuclear safety at the plant immediately after arriving on Tuesday, replacing colleagues who had been there for the past several weeks.
The drone strike came later in the day, targeting a vehicle bearing the IAEA logo that was part of a convoy preparing to pick up the departing team of agency staff. There were no casualties in the attack.
“This week’s attack was a stark reminder of the potential dangers our employees face as they carry out important nuclear safety work in an active war zone,” Grossi said.
The drone used in the attack is a type that explodes on impact with a target, leaving no large debris that could be used in an investigation of the incident.
“Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing. Our vehicle was damaged. There was a clear intent to intimidate us. But we will not give in… We will stay [at ZNPP] as long as necessary and continue our work,” Grossi added.