A Drone Shot Down Near the South Ukrainian NPP: IAEA Recorded a Crater 800 Meters Away

A drone has been shot down near the South Ukrainian NPP. The explosion occurred approximately 800 meters from the station's fence. This was reported by

Glavkom

It is noted that on the night of September 25, 22 drones were recorded in the monitoring zone, some of which approached within half a kilometer of the site. IAEA representatives nearby heard gunfire and explosions around one o'clock in the morning. In the morning, they inspected the crash site of the drone and recorded a crater measuring four square meters and about one meter deep.

Damage from the Downing

The debris damaged metal structures, shattered glass in cars, and also knocked out the regional electricity transmission line at 150 kilovolts. At the same time, this line was not connected to the NPP, so there was no direct threat to the operation of the reactors. There are no casualties.

“Drones are flying too close to nuclear power plants again, putting nuclear safety at risk. Fortunately, the incident last night did not cause damage to the South Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant itself. Next time we may not be so lucky. I continue to urge both sides to exercise maximum military restraint around all important nuclear facilities,” says IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

Additional Details About the Incident

The incident occurred less than a day and a half after the Zaporizhzhia NPP lost external power for the tenth time since the beginning of the war. Currently, the station has been operating on emergency diesel generators for over 48 hours, ensuring the cooling of six stopped reactors and other critically important systems. This is the longest case of complete loss of external power for the Zaporizhzhia NPP since the full-scale invasion began.

The news reports the downing of a drone near the South Ukrainian NPP and the consequences it led to. Although the attack did not cause damage to the NPP itself, the incident is a serious warning and poses a threat to nuclear safety. IAEA representatives call for military restraint and dialogue to prevent similar incidents in the future.