Explosions, smoke seen near Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant: IAEA
What's the story
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed explosions and smoke near Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). The blasts occurred at an auxiliary facility about 1,200 meters from the plant's perimeter. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said their team on-site heard explosions and saw smoke coming from a nearby area hit by shelling and drones.
Military activity
Shelling, drone attacks reported near ZNPP
Grossi revealed that the ZNPP informed the IAEA team about the shelling and drone attacks around 9:00am local time. The military activity was audible to the team at that time. Smoke from the affected area remained visible in the afternoon, highlighting the potential risks to nuclear safety amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Safety appeal
Grossi calls for maximum military restraint
Grossi emphasized that any attack near a nuclear power plant, irrespective of its target, could jeopardize nuclear safety. He urged all parties to exercise maximum military restraint around such facilities. "Once again, I call for maximum military restraint near nuclear facilities to prevent the continued risk of a nuclear accident," he said.
Twitter Post
IAEA's post on X
The IAEA team at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant heard explosions and saw smoke coming from a nearby location where the plant said one of its auxiliary facilities was attacked today, Director General @rafaelmgrossi said: https://t.co/707WUDk9sg pic.twitter.com/Arhh9YbWff
— IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) August 2, 2025