Drone attack reportedly kills worker at Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

How It Developed

A drone attack on Oct. 29 reportedly killed an employee of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.

The victim was reportedly a welder working at the plant's centralized repair workshop, according to the United Nations nuclear watchdog.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said that attacks on nuclear plant personnel are unacceptable and violate the agency's Seven Indispensable Pillars for Nuclear Safety and Security during armed conf

Grossi renewed his call for maximum military restraint around nuclear facilities to prevent the risk of a nuclear accident.

On Oct. 3, the IAEA reported a series of drone attacks that damaged transformers at the nearby Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant, threatening the nuclear facility's external electricity supply.

In August, a drone explosion at a bus stop used by plant personnel killed one person and injured 15 others, according to the IAEA.

The agency has maintained a permanent monitoring presence at the Russian-occupied facility since September 2022 over concerns of the risk of a nuclear accident.

The reported death at the nuclear plant came on the same day Russian forces launched multiple missile and drone attacks against the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia, injuring at least 14 peop