Explosions were heard near ZNPP, and drones flew near South Ukrainian NPP – IAEA
1 May 14:59
Over the past week, IAEA experts present at Zaporizhzhya NPP have been hearing explosions in the distance every day, and six drones were spotted near the South Ukrainian NPP on the night of April 25 at a distance of only 1.5 km from the plant.
This is reported on the website of the International Atomic Energy Agency, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
“At the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), the IAEA team has been hearing explosions in the distance every day for the past week, which constantly reminds of potential risks to nuclear safety and security,” the report says.
It is noted that the IAEA team conducted inspections at the plant, visiting all emergency control rooms of six power units, the safety systems of power unit No. 4, as well as two storage facilities for fresh nuclear fuel.
According to the agency, three out of nine power units at the three operating Ukrainian NPPs – Khmelnytsky, Rivne and South Ukrainian NPPs – are currently shut down due to scheduled repairs and fuel refueling.
“At the South Ukrainian NPP, the IAEA team reported numerous air alarms over the past week. The plant staff informed that on the night of April 25, six drones were detected at a distance of 1.5 km from the plant – along with the sound of military activity, which was probably related to an attempt to shoot them down,” the statement said.
It is also reported that at the Khmelnytsky NPP, members of the IAEA team were forced to take cover in the morning of April 30 due to an air raid alarm.
According to the IAEA, Ukrainian engineers and construction workers continue to temporarily repair the New Safe Confinement (NSC) at the Chornobyl NPP site, which was severely damaged by a Russian drone attack earlier this year.
