Loud explosions near Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), coinciding with a drone attack on the plant's training center, were reported by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) staff on Jan. 5, according to Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
“The IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhya (ISAMZ) team stationed at ZNPP reported hearing two loud explosions coming from outside the perimeter of the site at approximately 12:45 and 15:45,” he wrote, adding that the “team also reported hearing machine gun fire coming from the site on multiple occasions.”
There were no casualties and no damage to NPP equipment.
The IAEA has noted an increase in military activity near the Europe's largest NPP over the past 24 hours.
In response, Grossi called for "maximum restraint to avert the clear danger to its safety" and stressed the importance of adhering to nuclear safety principles during wartime.