IAEA: Drone strike kills one at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant bus stop

A drone explosion at a bus stop used by staff of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant killed one person and injured 15 others around 6 a.m. local time on Aug. 18, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported. The Russian-installed administration at the plant, which has been under Russian occupation since March 2022, told the IAEA that 16 staff members and subcontractors were injured in the blast. The IAEA also stated that the plant's director described the incident as "the worst event the plant has faced." IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi called on military commanders responsible for such actions to immediately cease targeting nuclear power plants or their staff. The agency did not specify whether Russian or Ukrainian forces were responsible for the attack, noting a similar incident on June 4 where the Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant came under heavy attack, with Russia blaming Ukrainian drones and Ukraine rejecting the claim. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is Europe's largest and among the 10 largest globally. Ukraine has warned that Russia's occupation poses a significant threat to nuclear safety worldwide.