IAEA Condemns Killing of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Chief Engineer in Drone Strike
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Brussels (Terror Monitor) — The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has condemned the killing of the chief engineer of Ukraine's Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in a drone strike, calling the attack "unacceptable." Moscow has blamed Ukraine for the incident.
Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev said on Wednesday that chief engineer Alexander Yakovlev was killed when a drone, which Russia claims was launched by the Ukrainian armed forces, struck a vehicle operating near the sensitive nuclear facility. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the allegation.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in a statement that the attack on the plant's management personnel was "unacceptable" and posed a serious threat to nuclear safety and security. He urged an immediate halt to all attacks on or near nuclear facilities and their staff.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also called on the IAEA to condemn what she described as the "murder" of the official.
According to Rosatom, Yakovlev had dedicated his career to the nuclear energy sector and was killed while carrying out his professional duties. The company said the vehicle's driver was also killed in the strike.
Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant shortly after launching their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in March 2022. The facility, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, has remained at the center of international concern over nuclear safety, with both Russia and Ukraine repeatedly accusing each other of endangering the site during the ongoing war.
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