The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Monday (4 May) that meteorological monitoring equipment at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in south-eastern Ukraine had been damaged by a drone.
The facility is Europe’s largest nuclear power station, with six reactors. It was seized by Russian forces in the early stages of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Since then, both sides have repeatedly accused each other of carrying out attacks that could endanger safety at the site, which lies close to the front line.
In a post on X, the IAEA said its experts had visited the plant’s External Radiation Control Laboratory (ERCL), one day after the Russian-installed management reported a drone strike.
“Team observed damage to some of the lab’s meteorological monitoring equipment which is no longer operational,” the agency said.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi renewed calls for caution. According to the agency, he issued a new appeal “for maximum military restraint near all nuclear facilities to avoid safety risks”.
The plant is not currently producing electricity. It has been targeted by drones on several occasions since the conflict began. Management said on Sunday (3 May) that the latest damage was minor and that operations were otherwise unaffected.
One of the station’s external power lines, which is needed to keep nuclear fuel cool, has been out of service since late March. The IAEA said last week it was seeking to arrange a local ceasefire to allow repair work to take place.
Grossi has visited the site several times since it came under Russian control. The IAEA also maintains a permanent presence at Zaporizhzhia, as well as at Ukraine’s three other operational nuclear power plants.
Türkiye is set to receive Russian diesel under a U.S.-backed agreement, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Sunday, as Ankara pushes a...
Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Tajikistan on Sunday for an official visit and a major regional summit, with security, trade and transport link...
The U.S. and five Central Asian nations have held high-level talks in Samarkand, focusing on trade, investment and regional security as Washington ...
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for continuing to target Russia's energy infrastructure, while Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight killed at least one person and damaged a metro station.
What started out as planned protests against the cost of living, declining public services and education funding in France, quickly devolved into violent riots across the country on Saturday.
The day after waiving sanctions and tariffs related to Russian exports, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he has yet to announce a final decision on the matter as Secretary of State Marco Rubio said officials want more time to evaluate the situation.
A Saudi AH-6i helicopter crashed in the Najran region of Saudi Arabia due to a technical malfunction, killing its two crew members, the Saudi-led coalition's spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki said in a statement on Sunday.
An oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said late Sunday.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Tajikistan on Sunday for an official visit and a major regional summit, with security, trade and transport links high on the agenda as Beijing strengthens its ties with Central Asia.
The U.S. and five Central Asian nations have held high-level talks in Samarkand, focusing on trade, investment and regional security as Washington seeks to strengthen its presence in the strategically important region.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for continuing to target Russia's energy infrastructure, while Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight killed at least one person and damaged a metro station.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has cut monthly food assistance to 500,000 people in Gaza amid severe funding shortages, with around two-thirds of the population facing crisis levels of food insecurity or worse.
Strong winds that fuelled a deadly grass fire are what killed four Canadian soldiers and sent 39 people to hospital at a military training area in Alberta, Canada, according to authorities. 19 people remain in critical condition. The winds caused the flames to spread rapidly.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment