Moscow, May 31: The Director General of Russia’s state nuclear energy company, Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, reported that a Ukrainian combat drone attacked the turbine hall of Unit 6 at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on Saturday afternoon.
The Zaporizhzhia NPP is the largest nuclear power facility in Europe and ranks third globally by total capacity.
In a statement, Likhachev noted, “This afternoon, a Ukrainian combat drone struck the turbine building of Unit 6, resulting in an explosion. Fortunately, the main equipment was unharmed, but a hole was created in the turbine wall. It is important to highlight that the drone was controlled via fiber optics, eliminating the possibility of accidental impact.”
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, Likhachev described this incident as the first targeted attack on the main equipment of a nuclear power plant in the history of the international community.
He expressed concern, stating that the Ukrainian military is repeatedly crossing not only red lines but also the boundaries of common sense. “What should we expect next? A direct strike on the turbine? The reactor hall? The reactor and its safety systems?” he questioned.
Likhachev warned that the world is one step closer to an event that could affect people far removed from Russia and Ukraine. He emphasized, “We continuously draw the international community’s attention to the very dangerous behavior of the Ukrainian side. Many seem to underestimate the severity of attacks on nuclear power plants. Today, we are one step closer to an event that may impact even those who believe they are completely safe.”
Earlier this month, the Ukrainian military also targeted the external radiation monitoring lab at the Zaporizhzhia NPP with a drone.
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