Ukraine Plant Came Quite Close to Nuclear Accident, IAEA Says

Drones hit Zaporizhzhia plant for the first time since 2022
Europe’s largest nuclear plant is occupied by Russian forces

A Russian serviceman stands outside the second reactor of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station.Photographer: Andrey Borodulin/AFP/Getty Images

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By Andra Timu

April 8, 2024 at 6:25 AM UTC

Updated on

April 8, 2024 at 2:50 PM UTC

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The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog warned that the Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia power plant in Ukraine came “quite close” to a nuclear accident on Sunday after it was attacked by drones.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said there were a few parameters to describe such an accident, including a loss of external power, an inability to cool down reactors or when the control room is under attack.