Drone Explodes Near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Leaving One Dead and 16 Injured

One person was killed and 16 others were injured after a drone exploded at a bus station near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The IAEA said that the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) exploded at the bus station used by personnel at the nuclear power plant.

The 16 injured include workers and subcontractors, three of whom are in serious condition.

The incident was reported in a statement published on X by the IAEA, the United Nations body that oversees nuclear issues, which cited the plant’s director.

The director described the event as “the worst incident he has ever encountered.”

With six reactors, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe. The facility was seized by Russian forces during the first weeks of the invasion of Ukraine, in February 2022.

Since then, Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly blamed each other for actions that could endanger the plant’s nuclear safety.