Fears of nuke accident after drone strikes
Attack was ‘close to disaster’
DRONE strikes on a power plant in Ukraine risk a major nuclear accident, the UN warned.
Its atomic watchdog said an attack on the Zaporizhzhia complex on Sunday came close to disaster.
Ukraine has denied Moscow’s claims it fired drones at the Russian-held nuclear plant. It is the largest in Europe.
It comes as British Foreign Secretary David Cameron warns the US that the security of the West is at risk if it continues to block aid to Ukraine.
The UN’S International Atomic Energy Agency said Sunday’s attack was reckless and amounted to a major escalation of dangers to the nuclear safety and security in the region.
Zaporizhzhia homes were hit in Russian drone and missile strikes last month. Andrii Yusov, spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence, insisted there was no attack on Sunday, saying Russia lied about strikes on the nuclear plant.
The plant has been caught in the crossfire since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022 and seized the facility shortly after.
Six of its reactors have been shut down for months but it needs staff and power to run cooling systems.
Superficial scorching was found to the top of a reactor dome.
The IAEA added damage “has not compromised nuclear safety, but this is a serious incident with the potential to undermine the integrity of the reactor’s containment system”. Boss Rafael Mariano Grossi added: “This cannot happen.”
Today in Washington DC, Lord Cameron will say failing to support Kyiv will boost Vladimir Putin’s bid to redraw European borders by force. He will hold talks in a bid to unlock a €55.3billion aid package.