Fire at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant After Drone Attack, Rosatom Says Cooling Tower May Need Replacement

Aug 12, 2024, 12:38 AM

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that a fire broke out at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant's cooling tower following multiple explosions, allegedly due to a drone attack from Ukrainian forces. Despite the incident, the IAEA confirmed that there was no impact on nuclear safety, and radiation levels remained normal. The Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest in Europe, has been in cold shutdown, and the fire did not pose a threat to the nuclear reactors, which are offline. Russia's Rosatom head, Alexey Likhachev, indicated the cooling tower might need replacement, describing the attack as a targeted assault on the plant's safety. Both Ukraine and Russia have traded accusations over the incident.