Russia Claims Ukrainian Drone Attack Killed Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Chief Engineer

The chief engineer of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was killed in a drone strike near the facility, Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom said on Wednesday. According to Rosatom, the attack targeted a service vehicle travelling between the nuclear plant and the nearby town of Enerhodar, resulting in the deaths of chief engineer Alexander Yakovlev and the vehicle's driver. Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev alleged that the strike was carried out by a Ukrainian drone. In a statement, he said the unmanned aerial vehicle hit the service car as it travelled between the plant site and Enerhodar, where most of the facility's employees reside.

The claims have not been independently verified, and there was no immediate response from Ukrainian authorities regarding the allegations. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, located in southeastern Ukraine, is Europe's largest nuclear facility, with six reactors. Russian forces seized control of the plant during the early weeks of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, the facility has remained under Russian control while operating amid heightened security concerns and repeated warnings from international nuclear watchdogs about the risks posed by military activity in the area.

The area surrounding the plant has frequently come under attack during the conflict, with both Russia and Ukraine accusing each other of actions that threaten nuclear safety. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which maintains a monitoring presence at the site, has repeatedly called for restraint and urged both sides to avoid military operations that could jeopardise the safety of the nuclear facility or increase the risk of a nuclear incident. Enerhodar, the town that houses much of the plant's workforce, has also been repeatedly affected by drone and artillery attacks. According to Likhachev, the latest incident reflects an escalation in attacks targeting the area.

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He alleged that the lack of a stronger response from Western countries to previous incidents had encouraged further attacks, describing them as acts of terrorism by the Ukrainian government. These allegations have not been independently verified. Likhachev further claimed that attacks around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and Enerhodar over the past two and a half months had killed 13 people and injured 48 others. Ukraine has consistently denied deliberately targeting civilians or nuclear infrastructure and has, in turn, accused Russian forces of militarising the plant and using it as a shield for military operations.

Both sides have traded accusations throughout the conflict, making independent verification of battlefield claims difficult. The reported deaths of the chief engineer and the driver are likely to renew international concerns over the safety of Europe's largest nuclear power station, which has remained at the centre of repeated warnings from global nuclear authorities. The situation around the plant continues to be closely monitored as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine persists, with the risk of military activity near critical nuclear infrastructure remaining a major concern for the international community.

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