A drone strike has reportedly hit the turbine hall of Unit 6 at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, marking an unprecedented attack on critical nuclear facility infrastructure.

In a statement, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said the Ukrainian armed forces carried out a targeted drone strike on the turbine building, which he described as a “first-ever attack on a nuclear power plant’s core equipment.” He claimed the explosion caused a “through-and-through” blast that damaged the turbine hall structure.

“The entire international community can be ‘congratulated,’ so to speak, as this is the first targeted attack on a nuclear power plant’s core equipment,” Likhachev said. He further alleged that Ukrainian forces were “crossing not just red lines, but the lines of common sense,” warning of potential escalation against other critical systems at the facility.

According to his statement, the drone strike occurred on Saturday afternoon and caused an explosion inside the turbine hall of Unit 6. While acknowledging structural damage, Likhachev said the main equipment was not affected, though a hole was reportedly created in the turbine hall wall.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power station, has been under Russian military control since early 2022. Since then, the facility has repeatedly been at the center of international concern due to military activity in its vicinity.

The plant’s reactors have been reported to be in a cold shutdown state under current conditions, but external power, cooling systems, and structural integrity remain key safety concerns. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has consistently warned that any military activity near or at the site poses serious nuclear safety risks, urging all parties to avoid actions that could endanger the facility.

As of now, the claims regarding the drone strike originate primarily from Russian nuclear and regional authorities, and have not been independently verified. Ukrainian officials have in previous incidents denied responsibility for attacks on nuclear infrastructure, while both sides have repeatedly accused each other of endangering nuclear safety at the site.

The incident adds to ongoing tensions surrounding the Zaporizhzhia plant, which remains one of the most closely monitored nuclear facilities in the world due to the risks associated with military activity in its vicinity. (ILKHA)