The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on June 15, 2023.
Olga Maltseva | Afp | Getty Images
The United Nations’ atomic energy watchdog sounded the alarm Sunday after drones struck a nuclear reactor at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said the serious incident “endangered nuclear safety and security” as Europe’s largest nuclear plant was directly targeted by military strikes for the first time since November 2022. However, it added that there are no indications of critical damage at this stage.
Russia and Ukraine have traded accusations over the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday called for greater international support for his country’s air defense systems, as Russia continues its aerial bombardment of Kharkiv and surrounding regions.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in China on Monday for talks over Ukraine and the situation in Asia-Pacific.
Russia launched two dozen drone attacks on southern and eastern Ukraine overnight, primarily targeting critical infrastructure and damaging a logistics and transport facility in the Odesa region.