Driver Killed at Russian-Held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Following Drone Strikes, Officials Say

Management at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine reported that a station driver was killed on Wednesday following two consecutive days of drone attacks. The incident comes amid ongoing friction surrounding Europe’s largest nuclear facility, which houses six reactors and has remained under Russian military control since the initial weeks of the February 2022 invasion.

Throughout the conflict, both Russian and Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly accused each other of military activities near the station that threaten nuclear safety. In a statement posted to Telegram, plant administrators detailed that buses transporting personnel to and from the facility had been targeted for two days in a row.

“The second straight day of attacks on the station’s transport shows that these strikes are deliberate,” the management statement read, adding that the actions pose a direct threat to the staff responsible for maintaining safe operations at the plant.

Russian authorities have frequently accused Ukrainian forces in recent months of striking infrastructure, services, and transport networks associated with the facility. Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear corporation, previously reported that a Ukrainian drone strike on a service vehicle in July resulted in the deaths of the plant’s chief engineer and another driver. Additionally, the nearby city of Enerhodar, where a significant portion of the station’s workforce resides, has experienced frequent attacks.

Despite ongoing hostilities, diplomatic efforts continue to address vital infrastructure needs. Rosatom reported last week that a truce agreement, mediated by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, had been established to facilitate necessary repairs at a thermal power station that supplies electricity to the nuclear facility.