Rosatom said a Ukrainian drone struck the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant on Saturday, but Ukraine’s military denied attacking Europe’s largest nuclear facility.
Alexei Likhachev, head of Russia’s state nuclear energy company Rosatom, called the incident deliberate. He said the strike hit the turbine hall building of Power Unit No. 6.
Likhachev said a “kamikaze combat drone” detonated after hitting the turbine hall. He said the blast left a hole in the wall but did not damage the primary equipment.
Ukraine’s military rejected the Russian claim as “yet another propaganda ploy.” It said Ukrainian troops did not strike Power Unit No. 6 at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
The Ukrainian military said its forces act in accordance with international humanitarian law. It said troops understood the consequences of any action targeting nuclear facilities.
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Ukraine also said there was no active fighting near that section of the front line during the incident. It said no weapons were used in the area.
Russian forces captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in March 2022. The facility remains near the front line in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region.
The plant has come under fire at times during the war, raising concerns about a possible nuclear accident.
